As the last exhibition of 2022, 2GIL29 GALLERY will be holding < "O" & "X" and Us > by Junyoung Kang(b.1979) from December 17th to February 11th. In this exhibition, under the theme of “Family” and “Home”, which penetrates the world of his works, he solves the multi-layered emotions expressed in his autobiographical experience through his formative language and asks serious questions to the audience. Especially, he raises high expectations for the viewers as he will be unveiling works that show his deeper and richer world of art.

The “House”, the basis of this exhibition, is the place where the first relationship of one’s life begins and one’s soil for emotions as it forms complicated emotions in one’s world as complex relations within the family are expressed. In particular, as the artist grew up traveling abroad, the idea of a house is a physical reminder of his grandmother’s arms. As time passed, the artist has now become a father of his family and his childhood memories of his family are recreated through his new perspective.

In this way, “Home” has turned into a major motif that connects the memories from the past and the present that completes an important role in accommodating the love and fullness felt in the family and community that exists within us. It reminds people who are experiencing generational conflicts within their families and the dissolution of family communities as they enter a modern society that suffers from rapid generational change, while asking questions about their relationship with their families, including the conflicting emotions and frustrations that occur. This extends to social concepts, not just the subject of individual thoughts, and gives each person an opportunity to think.

In particular, the way the artist expresses his own sense of aesthetics is the most noteworthy part of this exhibition. His most intimate emotions are shown through his instant brushwork, leaving careful layers on the canvas. The brushwork that fills the screen by stacking them over time shapes the layers of overlapping memories and the thick matier acquired throughout opens up a field of intuitive sensation for the viewers. Through the question, the artist asks–that triggers a strong question–with his artworks, I hope everyone gets a chance to reflect and think about the definition of family, which might have been demolished after the pandemic and the following accelerated world.

About this artist

Born in Seoul. Jun Young Kang (B. 1979) completed his B.F.A. in Ceramic & Glass and M.F.A. in Ceramic Art both at Hong-ik University, and he delivers personal sentiments and narratives running through his daily life in a variety of genres including ceramics, paintings, and video works. Since the winning of grand prize at Clay Olympic 2006 hosted by Korea Ceramic Foundation in 2006, he has been presenting his works not only in eminent exhibition spaces at home including Arko Art Center, Gyeonggi Museum of Mordern Art, and etc., but also in key regions abroad such as Taiwan, China, Singapore, Hongkong , the UK, the US, and etc. Also, he received great responses from people in the art scene of Asia when he took part in multiple art fairs such as Art Central HK and etc. Currently, his works have been collected by Korea Racing Authority, The National Assembly Building, HAN HYANG LIM, Onggi Museum, and etc.

He displays a wide range of spectrum broadening his personal concerns into the public sphere through his own reinterpretation on his autobiographical experiences and narratives in the societal context. In particular, he is known for his painted ceramic object straddling between the genre of ceramic and painting. In his school years in Australia, he was naturally introduced into Street culture and Graffiti art, which largely inspired him in terms of their way of communication and of their unique characteristic. And when the time came where he sought for ‘his own canvas’ when majoring in ceramic, the method came across his mind as a relevant and appealing visual media. Thus, there have been conspicuous traces of Graffiti art found in his works, which are graphical feature and vibrant shade. Though the messages in his work embrace universal sentiments of all mankind in depth. As he once said in an interview, all the things he encounters and experiences become source of his work, and it tells his interest that does not remain in the personal distinctiveness but go beyond that to the extent of understanding of the other side of society and things are excluded. Especially, his work of “Pray For You”, “I Love You More Than My Life” are conveying humanitarian love and hope.

In 2015, He gained a good reputation with his works such as “ I’m Telling You, Pray For You”, “You were There”, and etc. through the opening exhibition 2GIL29 GALLERY, entitled 2GIL, containing contemplative moments of him as an artist showing his deep concerns. Few years ago, he said he has been planning on dealing with a choice we could make under various situations and forgotten value and has been active in a series of interesting collaborative works.