By Reporter Anna Kim  

The exhibition, displaying the unique style of artist Shin Sung-hee (1948-2009) known as "Nouage," is currently being held as the grand opening exhibition at The Gallery. 

Visitors can view representative works from different periods, ranging from Shin Sung-hee's early canvas works to his Nouage series, "Peinture Spatiale" series, and "Conclusion of Continuity" series, comprehensively exploring the artist's entire career.

Shin Sung-hee's artwork, which embodied the essence of painting while presenting a distinct sculptural world, received greater recognition internationally, particularly in Europe, than in his home country. This year, in October, he has been invited to showcase his works in a solo booth at "London Prize Masters 2023," further solidifying his status as an artist.

Seo Seong-rok (Professor Emeritus of Andong University) commented, "It is said that it takes a lifetime for an artist to develop their own language. Shin Sung-hee pondered the issue of two-dimensionality in painting until the 2000s and announced the results of his profound exploration. 

French critic Gilbert Lascault's enthusiastic response to his mature works is a testament to that. While his works were already provocative in a conservative domestic art scene dominated by ascetic styles, his painting style, rather than shrinking over time, expanded like a crescendo, filling the canvas with vigor."

The painting technique that Shin Sung-hee created, known as "Nouage," involves tearing the painted canvas and then interweaving and tying the torn pieces together. This technique allows the artist to create three-dimensional spaces on the flat canvas, transcending the two-dimensionality of traditional paintings and infusing new vitality and breathe into the artworks. 

The fragmented canvases, brought together by the artist, with mesh-like gaps between them, breathe new life into the paintings, providing them with a three-dimensional spatial quality. These works grant a new artistic vitality by imbuing flat spaces with depth.

In his artist's note from 2001, Shin Sung-hee stated, "My works are meant to be torn. And tearing is a question about contemporary art, and the folding and tying are my answers. Space makes me give up the flat surface. It makes me believe that I must give up in order to renew. Remembering what needs to be given up is my painting. The fragments of the torn paintings are evidence that the subjects of my perception and expression have died. My two hands recreate unpredictable neural tissue on the body of the empty space where the wind blows."

"The Gallery" consists of exhibition halls on the 1st and 2nd floors and an outdoor garden. The exhibition aims to lead a society of communication with artists who unfold their dreams through their passionate creations and engage in the essence of painting, communicating more profoundly through art energy. It will become a space of communication where visitors can witness the seeds of life woven through the breath of creators and appreciate their value, leading them to another leap.

Address: 659 Gwacheondaero, Gwacheon City, Gyeonggi-do
For exhibition and visit inquiries: 02-507-1511