Aggregations, the first solo exhibition in Scotland of internationally renowned Korean artist Kwang Young Chun, unites the traditions of making and Eastern philosophy with the artist’s painterly interest in American Abstract Expressionism.
Chun constructs colourful and complex assemblages comprised of triangular forms in various sizes, which he views as ‘basic units of information’ creating both harmony and conflict. They are cut from Polystyrene, wrapped in Korean mulberry paper and tied with hand-twisted paper string. Throughout his works contrasts are continually apparent – between personal and mass produced, between soft organic forms and jagged cracked fragments, between the whole and its various parts held in perfect tension, and between the specific traditions of a culture and the international language of art.
Chun’s distinctive sculptural forms marked a significant shift in his practice. Following a period spent exploring the language of Abstract Expressionism as a medium to convey his personal struggle with the divide between ideals and reality, Chun sought a new way to communicate his art in a Korean sentiment. A childhood memory of mulberry paper medicine packages with name cards hanging from the ceiling, observed during a visit to a doctor practising Chinese medicine, sparked the shift in the artist’s trajectory from two to three dimensional making.
Chun’s mindscapes have the appearance of quoting from textile – where repeated rhythms and rich and blended colours are combined in smaller elements to form the overall pictorial whole. This likeness to the process of fabric construction finds a resonance within the context in the Dovecot Gallery, which with the Dovecot Tapestry Studio celebrates artists who embrace traditional making methodologies to create contemporary works of art.
Kwang Young Chun: Aggregations Curator’s Tour Daytime
Kwang Young Chun: Aggregations Curator’s Tour Evening
