”Vowels” Poster Image ©Space Willing N DealingSpace Willing N Dealing presents Son Jihyeong (b. 1996)’s solo exhibition “Vowels” through May 17, which Space Willing N Dealing introduces her art world for the first time. She is currently attending the Graduate School of Seoul National University of Science and Technology.
Son captures the universal sensations surrounding her, attempting diverse combinations of simple lines and planes, metaphorically representing their universality. The reconfigured forms, divided into lines and planes on a flat surface, expand into relationships perceivable through visual and tactile senses via the materials used. The rough yet uniform texture of the surface is precisely layered using sponges, rollers, etc., dipped in paint material rather than brushes. The grooves, carved out with shallow and sharp tools, serve to divide the images on canvas clearly, while the geometric forms, set to exist horizontally, acquire their vertical heights on each plane. Consequently, as the lines revealed by the application of paint deepen, the surface becomes coarser, and the flowing paint between the grooves accentuates the volume of the planes.
The word ‘Vowels’ used in the title of this exhibition meaning sounds produced without consonants. The artist sees a resemblance between the breaths taken when pronouncing only vowels and the act of dividing and scratching the canvas while allowing paint to flow. This signifies both the artist’s subjective control over the materials and their relationship with the canvas. Moreover, it indicates that the lines, colors, and units of the planes, created within intricate designs, each acquire their own territories.
Particularly in this exhibition, Son actively introduces organic lines, departing from primarily using straight lines. Furthermore, unlike previous works where lines dividing the canvas were meticulously filled, the artist now allows more diffusion and flow of paint, enabling the material itself to gain autonomy.
Son Jihyeong is a graduate student at the department of formative arts at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. She had a first individual exhibition at Rainbow Cube (2021). She participated in the group exhibition at Onsu Gonggan, This Weekend Room, Placemak 2, 2021 Topo House, and 2020 Wess.
