Korean Art, a Contemporary Take on Texture

14 - 28 March 2019

Following a number of group exhibitions that placed primary focus on a specific and particular subject as its theme, Opera Gallery Dubai is proud to present a seemingly more general exhibition titled ‘Korean Art – A contemporary take on texture’, offering a broad perspective on some of the pioneering practice to be found in this elementally contrasting country. The gallery has maintained a presence in the ‘Land of Morning Calm’ since 2007, with a prime exhibition space positioned at the beating heart of local creativity, in the Gangnam district of Seoul.

The exhibition covers trends ranging from traditional Korean art up to the Dansaekhwa Movement of the 1970s and the Minjung Misol from the 1980s onwards. The presented artists forge their work from an extremely subtle cultural legacy, much like the region, that sits in a constant state of flux between tradition and innovation. Through this significant, curated selection of recent works by contemporary Korean artists, we are delighted to present a panoramic representation of regional creativity, expression and craftsmanship, with a chosen emphasis on each artist’s relationship with often unusual and uncanny mediums, resulting in often beguiling and perplexing surface texture to the works they create. Whether using classical materials like oil paint, ink, ‘Hanji’ paper made from mulberry tree, or less expected industrial materials like chains, steel nails, polycarbonate or copper piping, these artworks are generally marked by a sense of calm and minimalist clarity.

Each artist attempts to reference the complex issues surrounding society’s evolution within nature, which has been jeopardised by industrialisation, the impact of the digital era or the ethical limits of major scientific and medical progress of the 21st century. There is no doubt that the lucidity, dynamism and nonconformism that emerge from these creations, and in turn this exhibition, enhance the pertinent, wider universal themes of the international world of contemporary art.

This exhibition perfectly emphasises the gallery’s consistent efforts to promote contemporary art through public display. Visitors and collectors from the region have recently been introduced to Korean art via a temporary exhibition located in the new Gate Avenue of the DIFC, which has prompted interest for this more expansive, intricate and more intimate gallery exhibition.

We look forward to welcoming you during the art-filled month of March and discover the importance of the Korean artists on display for this ‘first of its kind’, milestone exhibition.

SELECTED WORKS