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Installations that combine steel, hanji shown at Artcube 2R2

Sept. 2, 2024 - 21:30 By Park Yuna
"Human+Love+Light 240848" by Lee Sung-kuen (Courtesy of the artist, Artcube 2R2)

Installation artist Lee Sung-kuen’s solo exhibition “The Circle of Life” at Artcube 2R2 in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul encompasses the artist’s 70-year career that has evolved around the act of continuous binding and tying.

The exhibition that kicked off on Aug. 29 features the artist’s iconic installations created with oil-tempered steel wire, widely used for springs, wrapped in hanji, traditional Korean mulberry paper.

The wire is woven into a mesh in round shapes reminiscent of cocoons or clouds, the connecting knots and the wires between them appearing like dots and lines.

"Human+Love+Light 240815" (left) and "Human+Love+Light 240816" by Lee Sung-kuen (Courtesy of the artist, Artcube 2R2)

“Hanji, which is incomparably soft yet possesses long-lasting vitality, connects to the continuity and existence of life. The rounded pieces, composed of small knots and lines wrapped in hanji, create a space that feels as serene as a mother’s embrace,” the artist said of his work.

A Hongik University graduate, Lee has exhibited in Milan, Paris, New York since 1998. A solo exhibition entitled “Human, Love, Light” was held in 2020 at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art.

Artcube 2R2, a gallery newly launched by ArtToken, an online non-fungible token art trading platform, is open Tuesday-Saturday. The exhibition will run through Oct. 16.