Art Space Hohwa hosts an individual exhibition by the artist Kim Jae-yong, titled "Think Big!" In this exhibition, Kim Jae-yong reveals multilayered indicators of life through a transformative approach, using the universal form of a donut as his canvas and incorporating vibrant colors, satire, and metaphors. Kim's work is based on traditional media such as pottery and sculpture. Simultaneously, his audacious use of radical color combinations and modern expression techniques, utilizing materials like stainless steel, Swarovski crystals, and mirrors, reflects a paradoxical relationship between contradiction and harmony. The exhibition "Think Big!" conveys a message of embracing life from a broad and positive perspective, rather than myopically viewing the present moment. The artist conveys this message aesthetically through his donut artworks.
An essential element in Kim Jae-yong's work is its non-reductive nature. Beyond the constraints and limits of the donut's inherent form, he draws in visually imperceptible realms to expand the canvas. He overturns the confined, diverse sculptural elements within the donut's boundaries and transforms them into variations of new elements from the outer realms. Through this process, spectators reconstruct the artwork through their senses and imagination. The work involves the organic interconnection with the form of a donut, yet Kim's continuous exploration of multilayered cultural backgrounds and ever-evolving identity is manifested in each series of works, creating a constant transformation.
Stepping into the exhibition space, spectators are greeted with an otherworldly, surreal feeling as if they have entered the artist's mind. The space is filled with three-dimensional donut artworks and flat donut images adorning the walls, creating a mesmerizing interplay. The spectators are led into a realm of new conscious illusions and welcomed into a world of artistic enchantment. At the heart of this exhibition is the “XXL Donut” series, featuring massive donut sculptures measuring about 1 meter in size. The sheer scale evokes a sense of unfamiliarity and strangeness, while the smooth surfaces with intense color combinations, crystal embellishments, and diverse patterns create new structures, forms, and contours. This combination produces a transcendental experience within the spacetime between reality and unreality. On the other hand, the “You Did Well Donut!” series presents a visual play of various sizes of dazzling sculptures and shimmering images reflected in mirrors. These elements not only project the artist's ego but also create a visually playful experience for the spectators, allowing them to encounter complex emotions such as joy, sadness, and anxiety.
The artist's experimental endeavors and unique experiences from diverse cultural backgrounds are particularly evident in the “Blue and White” series. In this series, Kim Jae-yong refines his work by incorporating the traditional Korean technique of blue and white porcelain painting (Cheonghwa) and reinterpreting dozens of carefully selected images from carpets and Korean folk paintings. These images are then recreated using the Cheonghwa enamel, which involves using blue pigments on white surfaces. Through this process, the series not only reflects the artist's exploration of his Korean identity but also delves into the theme of cultural hybridity between the East and the West.
The French philosopher Gilles Deleuze criticized the stability of solidified states and instead focused on the inherent nature of fluid and dynamic changes, where one existence transitions into another. In a similar context, Kim Jae-yong emphasizes the process of each individual's existence flowing within the passage of time, engaging in contemplation with others. He hopes that through this process, individuals can perceive the beauty and pride of different forms growing within their inner selves. The exhibition "Think Big!" offers a platform for the artist's unique artistic contemplation to interact with the spectators, providing an opportunity for self-transformation and new growth.
