Installation view at Johyun Gallery HAEUNDAE ©Johyun GalleryGladstone Gallery Seoul presents Marine Wildfire & Underwater Forests, a solo exhibition by Swiss artist Claudia Comte (b. 1983), from May 22 to July 22. It is the first solo exhibition in Asia for the artist, who has worked primarily in Europe.
The artist has been working with dense materials such as marble and wood since the beginning of her career, carving and melting them into sublime forms with instinctive sharpness and delicacy. The exhibition features six works, all of which are new works by the artist from 2023. Made of smooth Carrara marble, the reliefs are atypical, organic shapes reminiscent of cacti, leaves, and coral, an ancient style of relief work. From ancient times to the contemporary, marble has been used as an artistic material to impart permanence and immortality to temporary forms, such as the human body and elements of nature. The artist chose marble as the material for his work to emphasize this point.
The exhibition also features a new mural work prepared by the artist for this exhibition. The mural runs from the lower level of the exhibition hall to the upper level, organizing the entire exhibition hall into one vast and immersive space. Bold, bold curves change density and gradient up and down and slide across the walls, demonstrating the artist’s constantly evolving artistic approach. From sculpture to installation mural to painting, the artist crosses genres and uses carefully selected materials to present a playful and socially engaged narrative within the space.
