This year's inaugural exhibition 'NOW 2013' serves as a platform for artists deserving attention in the present moment. We have selected artists in their 30s who uniquely interpret contemporary themes in their distinct languages. The exhibition, featuring a diverse range of genres and offering detailed explanations of the works, aims to deepen our understanding of contemporary art and provide valuable insight into the domestic art scene.

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GalleryJJ is pleased to present Bold Gaze, showcasing the latest works by emerging artists Kim Seongjung, Park Jihye, Yoon Hyejin, and Hong Myunghwa.

Reflection and contemplation on perspectives have been emphasized over an extended period. Especially in an era saturated with visual information, dominated by digital and visual cultures, contemporary philosophers like John Berger and Susan Sontag urge deep reflection on the ideologies and imperfections inherent in 'seeing' beyond superficial subjects.

In this context, the exhibition focuses on the "bold perspectives" of artists who reveal and expose what is hidden from oblique angles. Kim, Park, Yoon, and Hong, do not merely depict what is seen or revealed. They step back from their subjects, maintaining a distance to observe the shadows of yesterday, the unnoticed today, and the dreamed tomorrow.

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Kim, known for her dot paintings, reminisces about being seven years old. Viewing the world through a child's eyes, she begins bold imaginings with the purity, playfulness, and whimsy of that time. When drawing an owl, if a bob-haired girl comes to mind, the bird's wings become the girl's hair, adorned with a ceremonial coronet, preserving her innocence. She paints these wishes with colorful dots, filling lines and planes with tension at proper intervals. The palpable, vibrant primary colors approach us with intense delight. Her whimsical images reflect her desire to convey joy through playful familiarity rather than the authority of art. Her work begins with creating canvases, developing unique colors, and meticulously connecting dots without wavering. The time spent in immersion and seriousness adds depth to her delight.

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Park portrays the backs of people. Following the silhouette of a woman bathed in light, her gaze lingers on the swaying hem and the movement of the neck, realizing the face remains unseen. Yet, there's a sense of encountering a remarkably beautiful woman. This resonates deeply with the artist, who finds more stories in the subtle movements of the body's back than in the front's clarity and information overload. When pricked by the stories conveyed through tiny body movements, the artist finds herself in a passive state. Her oblique gaze doesn't arrest the subject's movement; instead, it extends through the artist's hand to the viewer's gaze. Even in the detailed sketches and layering of colors, the artist revisits the moment of encounter and its tremor.

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Yoon, who recently returned from New York, presents unfamiliar works. Grotesque shapes in vivid colors resemble animals or humans, evoking feelings of disgust or fear. Similar to the stuffed animals of her childhood, rough, free brushstrokes give them a playful appearance. Her gaze, as seen in solo exhibitions like 'Moon Spell' and 'Omnivorous Interests,' roams freely, colliding with images from various times and places. Her images defy standardization, driven by spontaneous working intentions. She describes how selecting one color leads to subsequent colors that grow on their own, harmonizing the canvas. Even when not harmonious, this unpredictability communicates with a wider audience. Her diverse gaze transforms into a unique voice through painting, installation, and performance.

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Hong's art resembles a bouquet of cotton candy, bingsu filled with fruits and cookies, and lollipops as large as an adult's face. A fiber and Oriental painting major, she expresses happiness through her skills. Coloring fabrics with Oriental painting pigments, she sews and stuffs them into bulging shapes, finishing with varnish to create lifelike cookies and ice cream. The sweetness in her works evokes comfort and a pleasant atmosphere, inviting viewers into a world of joy and sweetness.

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 Juyeon Kang, Gallery JJ Director

translated by Brett Lee​