Alone Not Lonely | Jang Koal Solo Exhibition
Tang Contemporary Art | Bangkok
Artist: Jang Koal
Curator: Yonni Park, Jeeeun Hong
17 September - 30 October 2022
Tang Contemporary Art Bangkok
Opening Reception: Saturday, 17 September at 4:00 PM
Tang Contemporary Art will be holding Jang Koal (born 1989) solo exhibition, ‘Alone Not Lonely’ from September 17 to October 30. This exhibit is like a letter of consolation for modern people who hold in their hearts the loneliness and depression sent with living creatures such as cats and people as well as backgrounds depicted with the artist’s imagination. Globally-recognized for her distinctive painting style and unique images, it is Jang Koal's first solo exhibition in Bangkok.
At ‘Alone Not Lonely,’ the artist presents happy memories and shares the moment to give us strength to overcome and make a step forward although it may be difficult to heal our inner loneliness and wounded heart.
‘Precisely the least thing, the gentlest, lightest, the rustling of a lizard, a breath, a moment, a twinkling of the eye - little makes up the quality of the best happiness. ‘
The female-form of people that appear in her works represent the modern people living with the distress of reality, loneliness, and broken heart. She refuses to create beautiful images of modern people carrying the burden of reality. Instead, each character appears to be serene and candid, making it more gorgeous.
The background of her works expressed with the way the artist views and preserves the world intertwined with her imagination shows her warm-heart of looking at the world and consolation for modern people. A cat, turtle, plant and living thing that the artist created comes near and stays with the illustrated characters in her works, trying to share feelings and arousing pleasant tension in the works. A fleeting moment to calm one’s discontent such as saying hello to a cat met on the way, the waving wild grass, time spent with friends or family members and spending time alone to communicate with the inner self appears in the lyrical and dreamlike paintings which have psychological and artistic attraction. Pieces of memories in the newly recreated works evoke the audiences’ emotion at that moment, inviting them to share the moment of healing.
At this exhibition, the series that focuses on the shape of a person especially concentrates on color. In other words, the inner side of modern people is dyed in the color of honest feelings. Color is a significant element that completes her works. Accordingly, Jang Koal covers the wooden panel top with hanji (traditional Korean paper), glues them and works with acrylic paints. Then, the paint would settle on paper to present clear, yet peculiar colors.
Jang Koal has been active in exhibiting her works in Nanzuka Underground Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), Powerlong Museum (Shanghai, China) and EverydayMoonday Gallery (Seoul, Korea), and participated in artist residence programs such as Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris, France) and Residency Colección Solo House (Somo, Spain).
About the Artist
Jang Koal (b. 1989, Ulsan, South Korea) is a self-taught artist who has possessed a deep love for drawing from a young age. Growing up in the care of her grandparents, she was often brought along when visiting Buddhist temples. Here she became acquainted with the striking traditional art that covers the temples' exterior and interior, which sparked a fascination for their colorful depictions and enigmatic atmosphere. These early impressions continue to reverberate in her present-day artistic practice; however, the now Seoul-based artist has pushed on to explore more contemporary themes and methods of working on hanji, a traditional Korean paper. Utilizing modern materials and techniques, she works with contrasting vivid, solid color sections against intricate patterns and constructs elegant imagery in which female figures are immersed in an imaginary parallel world filled with cats, flowers, and nature. Sourcing positive memories from her personal life, Jang addresses seemingly mundane and peaceful scenes but simultaneously touches on subjects that she is only able to express without restrictions through painting. Mixing the surreal, often ambiguous, or mystical atmospheres with bright colors and harmonious lines and compositions, she is able to create a captivating tension in which her subjects seem to feel most comfortable.
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