 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
SINGAPORE ION |
SINGAPORE ION |
SINGAPORE ION |
SINGAPORE ION |
 |
 |
 |
 |
DUBAI DIFC |
DUBAI DIFC |
DUBAI DIFC |
HONG-KONG |
|
|
KWON Ki Soo
Born in Korea in 1972, Kwon attended Hongik University and trained in classical Korean painting. He now lives and works in Seoul and recently participated in shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, and the Busan Biennale. Kwon makes a strong impression at the Triennial as an Asian artist of a new generation, one influenced as much by popular culture as by tradition.
In addition to established Korean symbols like chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, and bamboo, Kwon includes his own modern symbol: an alter ego named Dongguri. A simple smiley-face figure with a boxy body, Dongguri has neither gender nor identity and rarely appears without a scattering of clones. In visiting a friend on a snowy day, the cheerful creature romps about a landscape painted by a historical Korean artist, Goram Jonki. Though Dongguri seems like a simple motif, the character's allusions to commercial society bring complexity to Kwon's work.
Dongguri has become so familiar to Asian children that Kwon is only being shown in Kids' APT. Alongside his paintings and animated videos, the Triennial presents Kwon's Run, Run, Run, an interactive installation made from interchangeable and connectible Dongguri dolls. Producing an eerie army, the juvenile assembly line hints at the societal warnings behind Kwon 's highly approachable work. (LM)
|