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Dec 17 - Jan 02 2025 - 12 days left

Opening Reception: Friday, December 20, 2024 from 5 - 8pm Exhibition: Dec 17, 2024 - Jan 2, 2025 | Exhibition hours 12 - 6pm Artist Talk: Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 from 4 - 5pm Closed on Dec 24, 25, 31, 2024 & Jan 1, 2025 (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day) Curated by Grace Yeonsook Ji Helen Draves, "Threads of Being" The theme of my work is “Threads of Being.” This phrase resonates deeply with me, carrying profound symbolism and metaphorical weight. When translated into Korean as “실타래,” it captures the complexity of life and the essence of human existence, tangled yet profoundly interconnected. Since my youth, I have grappled with the question of my own being. Over time, the visible changes in my outer self have deepened this inner turmoil, and these reflections have naturally become the foundation of my artistic expression. From the beginning of my artistic journey, I have been drawn to clay as a medium. Working with clay brought me immense joy and a sense of pure immersion. However, my fascination with installation art led me to explore beyond clay, experimenting with materials like metal, acrylic, light, and video. These diverse mediums have opened new doors, enabling me to express my inner narratives more richly and dynamically. As a Christian, I hold a deep belief in eternity. I also believe in the eternity embedded within art. Many of us have stood before a masterpiece in a museum, feeling an overwhelming sense of awe, a resonance that sends shivers through our being. I, too, have experienced this countless times, sometimes finding myself unable to move, standing transfixed for what feels like an eternity. In those moments, I often wonder: could it be that the energy emanating from the artwork is the artist’s passion and spirit, poured into their creation? These intangible threads, woven into the work, reach out across centuries, connecting with countless viewers and evoking that indescribable resonance. I believe that these threads are what create the sense of eternity within art. In my own work, I strive to weave such invisible threads. With every piece I create, I pour all my passion and spirit into it, hoping that these threads will continue to connect and resonate with others, even long after I am gone. It is this belief that drives me to keep creating, moment by moment, stitch by stitch, crafting my own eternal threads. Youngkwan Choi, "Guardians of the Forest" My work goes beyond simply cutting, welding, and assembling metal. It begins with reviving the history embedded in the steel itself. Understanding where the metal came from, its original purpose, how long it existed in specific places, and the relationships it forged with people—these narratives serve as the foundation of my artistic exploration. In my latest series, created in New York, I focus on firearms crafted from steel. This series examines the dual role of guns as weapons and the complex social implications they hold within American society. I approach this subject with a perspective that is both personal and artistic, incorporating a subtle sense of irony to navigate the discourse. Steel transforms into weapons, these weapons shape cities, and, ultimately, they contribute to the formation of nations. Through this trajectory, my work raises the fundamental question: What is truly essential for human life? From a subjective point of view, I seek to address themes of war, murder, violence, and the symbolism of power, using the gun as a lens through which to explore these issues. At the heart of this series lies an exploration of the paradoxical nature of firearms—their capacity for both destruction and protection. This duality encapsulates the central purpose of the exhibition. Through my work, I aim to present an allegorical reflection on the intricate narratives of human history, where creation and destruction, self-preservation, and devastation are inexorably intertwined.