Nakhee Sung (b. 1971) has consistently presented organic abstract paintings that convey a rhythm and cadence akin to music, or the dynamic movement of freely flowing colors, through the fundamental elements of painting—points, lines, and planes. These basic expressive elements in her work are intricately interconnected, sometimes reflecting and reacting to one another, crossing paths, or even disconnecting, as they establish complex relationships.

In Nakhee Sung’s early works, the organic movement of points, lines, and planes emerges with even greater freedom. These fluid, intertwined colors amplify the sense of movement in her paintings, drawing viewers along the flow of these organic color forms and, before long, into a deeper inner space.

Sung describes her work as “suggestively visualizing a space for emotion through a simple yet expressive visual language.” The elements on the canvas build up one by one, dynamically following the psychological flow within the artist, evolving into a harmonious and balanced space.

Every element composing Sung’s canvases proliferates, disassembles, and mutates like individual cells, aligned with the flow of her inner state. This organic process results in a variety of abstract variations. For instance, in Untitled (2006), thin lines and transparent, bold brushstrokes overlap and intertwine, creating layered textures, whereas Frequency (2006) conveys a sense of weight through the interweaving of clean, substantial lines.

Furthermore, Sung’s vibrant colors and dynamic forms often break free from the flat surface to occupy physical, three-dimensional space. While drawings on canvas or paper are densely rendered within confined spaces, wall drawings express her emotions more freely and spontaneously.

Adapting her work to each exhibition space, the artist uses paint, markers, and spray to intuitively and expressively create flowing lines on walls and floors. These expanded, flexible, and irregular abstract forms surround viewers, leading them to a more sensory and emotional experience.

Alternatively, these wall drawings by Sung can form the very backdrop for her paper drawings, as if the colors and shapes depicted on the small paper drawings have spilled out beyond their frames. This effect generates a more dynamic visual rhythm, creating a sense of continuity and expansion from the paper onto the wall.

Additionally, Nakhee Sung's work often incorporates musical terms in exhibition titles or artwork names, constructing her own "composition" on canvas through her chosen materials and techniques. For instance, the Polyphonic series reflects polyphony—a style in which independent melodies harmonize across multiple lines. Likewise, each element on the canvas blends into a harmonious, smooth ensemble.

Though her process begins with intuitive sensitivity, it also involves intentional intervention for balance and cohesion. Sung builds the composition by deliberately adding elements to fill unbalanced spaces, almost as if scoring music. Yet, these additions are often spontaneous, leading to diverse variations and interwoven tensions between individual elements, creating a dynamic push-and-pull effect across the composition.

Meanwhile, Nakhee Sung’s recent works prominently feature large color fields, creating a calm and static impression that marks a shift from her previous style. This exploration of a new approach began with the Transpose series, introduced in 2018. The title Transpose, a musical term meaning to shift or change keys, suggests not a variation on existing themes, but rather a search for transformation that opens a new chapter in her artistic journey.

In the early Transpose series, Nakhee Sung’s use of both rigid straight and curved lines stands out prominently. However, as the series progresses, the compositions evolve into more bold, freely divided areas and placements, revealing unexpected color combinations and hints of the artist’s unique wit in the traces of her brushstrokes.

The following year, the Sequence (2019) series builds on this approach. It appears almost as if fragments of her earlier work are magnified, with layers of color planes stacking up and connecting in smooth, geometric forms, resembling digital pixels. Yet, beneath this smoothness lies the dynamic presence of visible brushstrokes.

The brushstrokes, blending straight and curved lines, divide the canvas vertically, horizontally, and diagonally while bending into fluid shapes, creating a dynamic visual effect. Additionally, the subtle traces of dripping paint and the deliberately splattered marks introduce a restrained motion, quietly surfacing within the otherwise static composition.

In Nakhee Sung's earlier works, her inner sensations seemed to radiate outward, engaging in a rhythmic process of filling and emptying with a sense of balance. However, in the Transpose and Sequence series, traces of self-reflection appear, showing a greater spatial and temporal distance than before.

According to the artist, she has recently been reflecting deeply on gravity during her work. This contemplation is evident in the Sequence series, where the compositional elements on the canvas coexist, not by pushing or pulling against each other with tension, but by an invisible force—similar to gravity—holding them together in a subtle equilibrium.

Thus, Sung's recent works appear less focused on radiating and balancing from within and more on thoughtfully absorbing the material and immaterial influences around her, brought to completion through deliberate, slow movement. In this process, each color field finds its place, linking and layering upon each other, subtly affirming one another’s presence.

Regarding this shift, Seung Oh Shin, the director of Perigee Gallery, remarks, “In the end, she brings a non-material force to her own inner world and delivers her work as an outgrowth of this process to a condensed scene.”

In her recent works showcased in the solo exhibition “Short Sleeves” at PIBI Gallery, the past 1-2 years of work prominently feature the use of curves, with an emphasis on organic rhythm and flow. These recent works combine the contemplative attitude seen in the 2018-2019 pieces with the existing dynamic flow, harmonizing to create a new rhythmic visual imagery.

As a result, the new pieces are characterized not by the sense of motion from the release of dynamic energy, but by smooth and flexible color planes and the natural rhythm emanating from the forms of free-flowing organic shapes, akin to the quiet, flowing nature of water.

The titles of the works also evoke a restrained yet fluid imagery, reminiscent of a leisurely walk. For instance, the Portamento series, named after the musical technique of smoothly transitioning from one note to another, captures the smooth and flexible movement of forms that seem to align with the artist's contemplative and restrained breath.

Nakhee Sung has created a unique visual language and visual balance through original variations composed of geometric elements and sculptural modules, starting from her psychological journey. Like the forms in her paintings that relate to each other and occupy space fluidly, her artistic world also continuously evolves, freely engaging with the world.

"This is a visual depiction and representation of my psychological journey. The freely drifting expressions move the viewer's gaze, gradually guiding the heart, eyes, and mind to wander deeply within the space of the painting, following its flow." (Nakhee Sung, Artist's Statement)

Nakhee Sung has graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in the US, and received her M.A. from the Royal College of Art in London. She has held numerous solo exhibitions at Art Sonje Center, Doosan Gallery, and more, as well as participating in group show of major art museums including Ilmin Museum of Art, Modern Art Gallery, Milan, etc. In 2005, Sung was selected as an artist of the Korean Pavilion Artist at the 51st Venice Biennale.

She has partaken in residencies in and out of Korea including MMCA Residency Changdong, Seoul, Doosan Residency Program, New York, Ssamzie Space Studio Program, Seoul, Cité International des Arts, Paris, etc., and her works are included in the collections of the National Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art, Seoul, the Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, the Leeum-Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, LG, Seoul, the UBS Art Collection, Switzerland, and more.

References

• 성낙희, Nakhee Sung (Artist Website)
• 피비갤러리, 성낙희 (PIBI Gallery, Nakhee Sung)
• 두산아트센터, between you and me (DOOSAN Art Center, between you and me)
• 페리지갤러리, Modulate, Perigee Gallery, Modulate)
• 월간미술, 그림에 기댄 글, 글에 기댄 그림(맹지영)
• 피비갤러리, Short Sleeves (PIBI Gallery, Short Sleeves)