SAMBYPEN

SAMBYPEN has established a distinct visual language by parodying and creating new characters drawn from commercial brands and cultural artefacts familiar to the public. His work playfully subverts recognisable imagery and phenomena from contemporary consumer society—including corporate mascots, animated characters, internet memes, films, and masterpiece paintings—and questions the distinction between the real and the artificial. Guided by the ethos of ‘art for everyone,’ his practice fosters an accessible dialogue with audiences, encouraging them to engage their imagination as a means of navigating the complexities of modern life.

In LAZY, SAMBYPEN examines the psychology of laziness in an era of excess, rapid transformation, and entangled distractions. The artist humorously visualises the mental turbulence—hesitation, fear, and delusions—that arises when countless tasks are postponed, along with their physical manifestations, through a newly introduced character, Bomb! This exhibition will present SAMBYPEN’s latest painting series for the first time, which integrates traditional painting, graffiti, and image transfer techniques, alongside his signature sculptural paintings.

The sculptural paintings—produced through a layered process of pen drawing, digital graphics, CNC machining, and brushwork—represent a core part of SAMBYPEN’s visual language. Also known for his street graffiti, the artist introduces his Wall series for the first time in a gallery setting. These works draw from his graffiti practice, built through layers of spraying, painting, sanding, and redrawing, resulting in textured surfaces that evoke the weathered façades of city walls. Within these compositions, faded texts and illustrations mingle with dynamite, tanks, and cheerful animal and plant characters. The word FAKE, stamped across the surface like bubblegum stickers, poses a blunt question: Is fine art truly pure? With a language that is both concise and direct, SAMBYPEN continues to navigate the shifting lines between the real and the artificial, and between fine art and commercial culture.

Having spent his childhood in Europe and the United States, SAMBYPEN began experimenting with parody during his school years in Poland, where he recognised striking similarities between socialist imagery and the advertisements of New York’s Times Square. Since his debut solo exhibition in 2015—where he satirised the Michelin mascot—he has held numerous exhibitions in Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, and Miami. He has also collaborated with global brands such as Porsche, CASETiFY, KB Kookmin Card, and SMTOWN, expanding his practice across diverse media including product design, murals, and public art.