LEEAHN Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of Jim Dine, ‘Sculpture & Painting’, at LEEAHN Seoul. It is the artist’s second exhibition since the first solo show with LEEAHN in 2011. The exhibition composed of 10 works including sculpture and drawing with his ever-loving Pinocchio images, and also the artist’s best renowned works from Heart Painting series.

Pinocchio is a main character from a world famous children’s storybook by Italian writer, Carlo Collodi, and it continuously served as a main motive in Dine’s work within most autobiographical context since 1997. The Pinocchio series includes not only sculptures in wood and bronze, but also various drawings and illustrations. Dine’s Pinocchio are made in various size and poses, such as raising its two arms up high, giving more lively feels to the figures. The figures of his Pinocchio and its roughly painted feature often reveal some unfinished quality in its color and shapes. Dine regards himself as Pinocchio, creating a symbol for challenge and passion of experimentation as an artist, which equates to the hardships and adventure that Pinocchio goes through within the story. Another series that represents the artist is Heart Painting, and it is not just a mere symbol for love but a symbol for greater meaning in emotion and passion. The works of this series plays for joyful melody with its diverse color palette. The exhibition at LEEAHN will introduce for the set of works that are visually pleasant as well as highly unique in its quality of medium and three-dimensionality.

The artist was a pioneer in leading a trend of contemporary art, and his generation artists include Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg. Dine was exclusively contracted with The Pace Gallery, New York since 1976. And his impressive works of drawing, painting, and sculptures are considered as one of most important pieces in the history of contemporary art.

Courtesy of LEEAHN Gallery