Gwon Osang (b. 1974), known for his so-called "photo-sculptures," has continuously questioned the identity of sculpture while exploring new structural forms. Through the medium of photography, he has carried out various experimental and innovative sculptural attempts that challenge the traditional modes of existence of sculpture.

Gwon Osang conceived lightweight sculptures using two-dimensional photographic images printed on paper, rather than relying on traditional, heavy materials like marble. His exploration of sculptural forms through the medium of photography began to take shape with the Deodorant Type series, which he started in the early 1998s.

The term “Deodorant Type” is a compound word coined by Gwon himself. It combines "deodorant," a product that conveniently replaces an existing smell with another, and "type," a term commonly used in photographic processes such as ambrotype and daguerreotype.

By attaching the word "type," as though it were a term already existing in the history of photographic techniques, the artist presented his ontological exploration of sculpture through its fusion with the medium of photography. Inspired by the slightly off-kilter phenomenon of deodorants—items largely unnecessary for East Asians—being heavily advertised, this series reveals a divergence and misalignment from its subject during the process of creating three-dimensional forms, despite being photographic in essence.

To achieve this, the artist produced three-dimensional photo-sculptures by cutting and pasting hundreds of photographic images taken from various angles of the subject. Additionally, he utilized features inherent to photography, such as enlargement, reduction, and duplication. For instance, A Statement of 540 Pieces on Twins (1999) consists of two sculptural figures created from a single photographic source, showcasing an ambiguous existence where reality and illusion intertwine.

While Gwon's early works were primarily created using photographic images he captured himself, his later pieces were made using images sourced from magazines, advertisements, and the internet. Additionally, whereas the early Deodorant Type works were hollow in structure, later iterations evolved to use forms made from rigid Styrofoam (Iso Pink), which were then entirely covered with photographic images.

The sculptural exploration initiated with the Deodorant Type series reflects a contemplation of sculpture in a modern context through the lens of contemporary imagery. For instance, in the later work Westwood (2015), Gwon reintroduced the pedestal—a characteristic of traditional sculpture—while applying a contemporary sculptural language interpreted by the artist.

Thus, while the mechanisms of the photographic medium are a significant element in his photo-sculptures, Gwon's works fundamentally engage with questions about the methodologies and ontology of traditional sculpture, examining the very nature of "sculpture" itself.

In 2003, Gwon introduced The Flat series, which presented flat sculptures created by collecting contemporary images commonly found in magazines. This series consists of images the artist had meticulously gathered since 1999, primarily featuring luxurious objects such as watches and jewelry.

The process involved cutting out the magazine images along their outlines and attaching wires to the back of the cutouts to make them stand upright on the ground. After constructing these flat images into a three-dimensional form, Gwon ultimately reconverted them into a photographic work, returning to the flat medium.

Through The Flat, Gwon repeatedly explored this reversal process, raising questions about one of sculpture's central themes: the relationship between flatness and three-dimensionality. Moreover, the intricate interplay between the flat and the three-dimensional in The Flat reveals a clear connection to his earlier Deodorant Type series, furthering his investigation of sculptural concepts through the medium of photography.

In contrast to his earlier series, Gwon’s The Sculpture series, introduced in 2005, does not emphasize photography as a primary sculptural material. Instead, the artist gathered information about his subjects—luxury supercars such as Lamborghinis—from sources like the internet, books, magazines, and miniature car models without directly observing the actual objects. Based on this research, he created sculptures using traditional bronze, which he then painted with acrylic to resemble lightweight plastic objects.

Although the The Sculpture series differs in physical characteristics from his earlier photo-sculpture series, it remains connected through its reinterpretation and contemporary adaptation of traditional sculpture. This series reimagines the historical intent of traditional sculpture, which sought to closely approximate an idealized reality, within a modern context.

By using supercars—symbols of today’s capitalist utopia—as his subject and combining the classical material of bronze with playful interventions like orange acrylic paint, Gwon prompts reflections on the meaning of traditional sculpture in the contemporary era.

In his 2016 solo exhibition “Gwon Osang: New Structure and Relief” at Arario Gallery, Gwon introduced the New Structure and Relief series, which continue to build upon his earlier works. In the New Structure series, Gwon expanded the concept of flat sculptures seen in The Flat series, transforming them into larger-scale, more solid installations, thus broadening the discussion of sculpture into spatial dimensions.

For New Structure, Gwon enlarged collected images of objects and crafted them as flat forms, which were then structured into standing installations. Rather than adhering to a specific narrative or purpose, Gwon allowed his process to be autonomous and unconscious, focusing primarily on aesthetic judgment in shaping the forms. The space created by New Structure, though devoid of a specific narrative, possesses the unique spatiality and theatricality of sculpture, enabling it to generate and convey events through its presence alone.

In the New Structure series, Gwon Osang explored the relationship between sculpture and space, while in the Relief series, he actively employed modeling techniques to sculpturally arrange contemporary images, reflecting his engagement with current cultural contexts.

For the Relief series, Gwon selected images from ‘Wallpaper,’ a design magazine known for capturing global cultural trends with speed and precision. He arranged and combined these selected images on flat wooden panels, layering them to transform the two-dimensional surface into a three-dimensional sculptural form through a modeling process.

As with his other works, there is no specific narrative or concrete meaning embedded within the collected images. The creation process involves repetitive acts of adding and subtracting image clusters in an improvised and unconscious manner.

Gwon Osang's recent works delve into the abstraction of sculpture, inspired by the fragmented and perforated forms characteristic of 20th-century British sculptor Henry Moore. By studying Moore's treatment of the human figure, where bodies are deconstructed into abstract shapes or include voids, Gwon integrates these concepts into his photo-sculpture practice, evolving his distinct visual language.

The Reclining Figure series (2020–), an homage to Henry Moore, features abstract and organically composed human figure sculptures that merge photography and sculpture. The photographic images placed on the abstract sculptural forms provide a sense of visual dynamism to the static shapes by featuring various temporal and spatial backgrounds or overlapping perspectives.

In contrast to his earlier photo-sculptures, which were created by attaching photographic paper, the Reclining Figure series marks a shift as Gwon began printing images on matte fabric, introducing a change in the sculptural form and texture. By inflating the structures with air and fixing their forms, these works evolved into massive sculptural installations that occupy substantial portions of exhibition spaces.

Gwon's ongoing investigation into the identity of sculpture serves as the central thread connecting his various series. Each body of work influences and informs the next, creating an organic, interconnected evolution of ideas. Rooted in his focus on contemporary life, Gwon's practice consistently reflects contemporality while engaging in innovative experiments with form and medium. His ability to merge different media seamlessly not only pushes the boundaries of art but also offers a fresh perspective on what sculpture can represent in today's context.

“The fundamentals, I am totally into the story of ‘How human beings have been living by carving’.” (Gwon Osang, Artist’s Note)

Gwon Osang graduated from the Department of Sculpture of Hongik University College of Fine Arts and obtained his master's degree from the graduate school of the same university. He has held solo and collaborative exhibitions at Lotte Avenuel Art Hall (Seoul, 2023), Ilmin Museum of Art (Seoul, 2022), Suwon Museum of Art (Suwon, Korea, 2022), Arario Gallery (Seoul, Korea; Shanghai, China, 2016), among others.

His solo exhibitions have been showcased worldwide at venues such as Hermès (Sydney, Australia, 2016), Waterfall Gallery (New York, US, 2016), Okinawa Contemporary Art Center (Okinawa, Japan, 2015), Joyce Paris (Paris, France, 2014), HADA Contemporary (London, UK, 2013), Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester, UK, 2008).

Group exhibitions showcasing his works have been held at Arario Gallery (Seoul, 2024; 2023; 2018; 2014; 2011; 2010), Gyeongnam Art Museum (Changwon, Korea, 2023), V&A Museum (London, UK, 2023), The Shop House (Hong Kong, 2022), Daelim Museum (Seoul, 2020), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul, 2015), Singapore Art Museum (Singapore, 2014), and Saatchi Gallery (London, UK, 2010). His works are part of the collections at institutions including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Busan Museum of Art, and Leeum Museum of Art in Korea.

References

• 권오상, Gwon Osang (Artist Website)
• 아라리오 갤러리, 권오상 (Arario Gallery, Gwon Osang)
• K-ARTIST.COM, 권오상 (K-ARTIST.COM, Gwon Osang)
• Korea Artist Project, 류한승 – 권오상의 현대미술 
• 아라리오 갤러리, 권오상: New Structure and Relief (Arario Gallery, Gwon Osang: New Structure and Relief)
• 롯데백화점, Walking Through The Sculptures