Gallery Em is proud to present a three-person show titled Clusters: Juree Kim, Hyungji Park & Gunwoo Shin from February 23 through March 24. The three young artists’ works in the exhibition demonstrates each of their own perception of a primary tenet of modern society, the cycle of creation and extinction (history and present). Each artist utilizes different materials to accomplish their vision. Juree Kim’s illustrates the demolition processes of the new overtaking the old by introducing water into a sculpture of a clay house. The paintings of Hyungji Park are of random ordinary objects, such as gleaming lamps, that she finds in her living environment. Those paintings are flat works yet appear three-dimensional with rhythms and liveliness embedded in them. Gunwoo Shin’s works are reliefs with rich details that display dynamic movements and liveliness as if the elements are about to pop out of the works.

All three artists show distinctively unique styles and materials, yet the works generate a subtle alliance. All the works exude a dynamic sense without any actual motions and share a common element, a visual mobility. In addition, the works also share common subjects that are drawn from current social issues that have arisen in their surroundings as well as through their own individual discoveries. Although they display the works in a variety of forms and methods, a soft harmony is produced when they meet. The title of the exhibition, Clusters, is a musical term that describes the harmony of multiple chords that are produced simultaneously. The works in the exhibition will fill the gallery with the clusters of their unique works, harmoniously creating an ensemble.

About the Artists

Born in 1981 in Seoul, Korea, Juree Kim majored in sculpture at Kyung Hee University. She had her first solo show in 2005 at Ga Gallery, followed by important group shows at such museums in Korea as Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Song Eun Art Space and Sungkok Museum. In 2011, Kim was invited to show at The Second Chongging Asia Young Artist Biennale, Chongging and CITY-NET ASIA 2011 in Seoul National Museum of Art, Seoul. In addition, she won the first prize at the Tenth Song Eun Art Award 2011 from Song Eun Art Space. Her major public collection includes Song Eun Art Space, Korea.

Born in 1977 in Seoul, Korea, Hyungji Park received her BFA from Hong-ik University. She received her first MFA from Korean National University of Arts and her second MFA from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Her solo exhibitions include Neon Plants, Night Lights and Travel to the Galaxy (Oriental VisArt, Geneva, 2011), Strange Scenery (Nordisk Kunst Plattform Project Space, Brusand, 2010), and Fake Tales from Somewhere (HMS Space, Nottingham, 2010). She has also taken parts in many group exhibitions such as After Humanism (Alternative Space Loop, Seoul, 2011), 4482 Korean Contemporary Artists in London (Bargehouse, London, 2010), Platform (Raymond Gun Gallery, London, 2009) and Private Practice 2 (DegreeArt.com Gallery, London, 2009) among others. In addition, she was a finalist at the Guasch Coranty International Painting Prize in 2010 (Barcelona, Spain) and received a visual arts grant from International Exchange of Arts and Culture, Arts Council Korea.

Gunwoo Shin was born in 1978 in Seoul, Korea, and he lives and works in London and Seoul, now. He majored in Sculpture at the College of Fine Art, Seoul National University and received his MFA in Sculpture from the College of Fine Art, Seoul National University along with an MFA in Sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. He had his first solo exhibition at Kwanhoon Gallery (Seoul) in 2006 and his second solo show Kaleidoscope (Gallery HYUNDAI WINDOW GALLERY, Seoul) in 2011. He has been included in several group exhibitions such as House of the Nobleman –The Return (Boswell House, London, 2011), Threshold to Everyday-Life (La Cave, Geneva, 2010), The 4th 4482 (Barge House, London, 2010), and Defamiliarization (Nolias Gallery, London, 2009) among others. In addition, he received a prize from the Land Securities Award in 2009.