Installation view
of 《Curtain》 ©NOON CONTEMPORARYNOON CONTEMPORARY presents a solo exhibition 《Curtain》 by artist Li Hyunwoo, until July
11.
Li Hyunwoo’s paintings do not depict the entirety of
objects. The forms presented on the canvas are generally ambiguous and lack a
clear narrative. Some subjects are simplified to the point of being almost
unrecognizable or are partially cropped.
Instead, their place is filled with the rhythm of
repeated brushstrokes, connected planes of color, and the texture left on the
surface. Rather than prompting viewers to identify specific objects, the artist
intends to evoke a response to the surrounding atmosphere—the energy, the
light, and its temperature.
Installation view
of 《Curtain》 ©NOON CONTEMPORARYThe artist extracts a single scene from the
surface of the city and reweaves the time and emotions that brush across it
into painting. The dry brushstrokes on the canvas accumulate like weaving
fabric—layer by layer, strand by strand. The surface of the painting is not a
rigid structure but comes together like a delicate textile with the texture of
sensation.
The title of this exhibition, “Curtain,”
can be seen as a symbol of Li Hyunwoo’s overall approach to painting. A curtain
is a device that conceals, but it is also a sensory filter that diffuses light
and alters the atmosphere of a space. Similarly, rather than depicting an
object in its entirety, the artist transfers to the canvas the quiet flow that
drapes over it—light, shadow, and the lingering traces of emotion.
Installation view
of 《Curtain》 ©NOON CONTEMPORARYRather than telling a specific story, Li
Hyunwoo’s paintings quietly observe seemingly trivial moments and invite us to
dwell alongside them. This honest and careful gaze gradually reveals itself
through the canvas. As a result, we don’t simply look at Li’s paintings—we
experience a certain sensation within them.
The exhibition 《Curtain》
unfolds in this way: the place where light has lingered, the
trace of a shadow’s touch, the texture of emotion blooming at the boundary
between the two. In front of these quiet landscapes, we are gently asked to
pause in our own way and follow the rhythm they offer.
