SPACE August 2023 (No. 669)
‘Suh Yongsun: My Name is Red’, an exhibition of the artist’s work spanning 50 years, opened at Art Sonje Center on July 15. ‘My Name is Red’ is named after a novel by Orhan Pamuk. The conflict in the novel, which centres on a painting and a painter, is similar to the trajectory of Suh, who has been exploring and cultivating his own painterly world. The narrative that informs Suh’s work includes ‘cities, people, history (mythology), and nature’. His works, which cover subjects such as the Korean War and political figures and are deeply rooted in Korean modernity, have been interpreted along thematic or genre terms. This exhibition adds to this the axis of ‘line, plane, shape, and colour’ to reveal an interpretation that goes beyond conventional evaluation and discussion. It seeks to perceive the ‘pictorial space’ established by Suh by focusing on the act of ‘drawing’ as a painter and the figurations and fno. orms revealed in his works. The 70 reconstructed works are realised in three spaces: Part 1, Gold covers the city; Part 2, Black features work on history and politics; and Part 3, Butter-Fly covers his consideration of life and nature. Part 1 features works such as Sookmyung Womenʼs Univ. Station 07:00-09:00 (1991) and City-In the Car (1989, 1991), which illustrates the artist’s observations and explorations of the changes to Seoul and its people in the 1980s through 1990s. Beginning with Self-Portrait with Red Eyes (2009), Part 2 will feature a series of self-portraits that reveal the artist’s critical awareness of politics and history, followed by Falling Flowers (2006) and Cheongnyeongpo (2007), which are reflections on death. Unity (2008) and Gyeongja(Respect) Rock (2014), are multi-layered metaphors for conflict and faith, rearranged across multiple axes rather than sequentially over time and context. Part 3, which opens on Sep. 15, will reveal the artist’s reflective attitude and commitment to the unity of life and art through wood carvings, landscape paintings, and portraits. The exhibition is on view until Oct. 22. (by Youn Yaelim)
Exhibition installation view of ‘Suh Yongsun: My Name is Red’ Part 1, Gold_Image courtesy of Art Sonje Center ©Cheolki Hong
Exhibition installation view of ‘Suh Yongsun: My Name is Red’ Part 2, Black_Image courtesy of Art Sonje Center ©Cheolki Hong
