Partial exhibition view of "Sang A Han: Pointed Mind" at OCI Museum of Art, Seoul (October 20 – November 19, 2022). Photo by Aproject Company.The OCI Museum of Art presents Han Sang A’s solo exhibition “Pointed Mind”.
Every year, the OCI Museum of Art selects young artists who present a new paradigm to the art world and highlights their artistic activities through solo exhibitions. Among the artists selected for the 2022 call-for-artists program, the solo exhibitions of Han Sang A and Lim Jihyun will be held until November 19.
“Pointed Mind” is Han Sang A’s first solo exhibition in three years. On wet cotton cloth, Han uses ink sticks, the main material of traditional Eastern painting, to create a landscape combining everyday life and the artist’s imagination. The landscape is a mixture of reality, memory, and fantasy and is expressed through different shades of black ink and delicately expressed lines. Han went through marriage, childbirth, and parenthood in 2018, and as a result, her work has shifted from flat paintings to soft sculptures created by cutting and sewing painted clothing.
In this exhibition, the artworks depict the ambivalent feelings the artist has as both an artist and a caregiver. As an artist, one has to be sharp and sensitive, but as a caregiver, one must be easy-going and generous. The double-sided identity is reflected in the Korean title of the exhibition. 용기, or Yonggi, has two meanings. As artists are required to confront new situations, courage is an essential quality. A mother who is able to store love for her children should resemble a container.
This dual identity is also expressed through pointy shapes in her works. These sharp symbols, however, are not threatening but rather warm, like stars and glitter. The shapes of hands, fire, the moon, and stones were inspired by the artist’s thoughts and aspirations to commemorate the well-being of the family.
Han Sang A has had solo exhibitions at SongEun Art Cube (Seoul), Weeknd (Seoul), Gallery Dos (Seoul), and Seongnam Cube Museum of Art (Seongnam). She has participated in group exhibitions at the Seoul National University Museum of Art (Seoul), Space Willing & Dealing (Seoul), Asian Culture Center (Gwangju), Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art (Ansan), Seoul Calligraphy Museum (Seoul), space776 Gallery (New York), Unité d’Habitation (Marseille), and CHENGART (Beijing).
Artist Han Sang A is concurrently holding a solo exhibition at the BYFOUNDRY in Hannam-dong, titled “Pointed Warmth,” until December 18.
