Installation view of 《The Saga of Monsters : Strange Trees》 ©Space Willing N Dealing
Space Willing N Dealing presents Nam Jinu’s
solo exhibition 《The Saga of Monsters : Strange Trees》 on view through December 7.
Nam Jinu invites viewers into the
intersection of good and evil, constructing a distinctive world where his
persona, embodied as a giant squid, encounters various heroic figures. Through
delicate yet exotic compositions, he fuses multicultural symbols and
iconography to create a richly imaginative visual narrative.
In this exhibition, the artist extends this
world further, introducing images that are even more enigmatic and
otherworldly.
Installation view of 《The Saga of Monsters : Strange Trees》 ©Space Willing N Dealing
At the center of his work, the giant
squid—a recurring, symbolic being—withdraws from the gaze of heroes and
dissolves into the forest, camouflaging its body through the forms and colors
of trees. Within this liminal space where kaleidoscopic reality meets fantasy,
Nam constructs uncanny scenes of symbiosis.
The exhibition unfolds a temporal rhythm
through which the passage of the four seasons can be sensed. Each canvas
presents symbolic landscapes that represent shifting times of day—where night
and day intersect, suggesting cycles of transformation.
Installation view of 《The Saga of Monsters : Strange Trees》 ©Space Willing N Dealing
Nam’s monsters approach us not with fear
but with familiarity. They conceal themselves quietly, gazing back at us. His
pictorial world, like an ancient yet unfinished myth, draws viewers into
another realm of time and imagination. Through the epic of these “monsters”
that mirror the hidden dimensions of both humanity and the world, the
exhibition reawakens a long-forgotten space of imagination.
