Installation view of 《FROZEN GAZE》 ©Museum Hanmi
Museum Hanmi Samcheong Annex presents ZO
SUN HI’s solo exhibition 《FROZEN GAZE》, on view through January 25. Known for her distinguished career in
portrait photography, ZO unveils a new body of artistic work in this
exhibition.
The series ‘FROZEN GAZE’, featured in this
exhibition, began in 2018 when the artist encountered a dead sparrow in front
of her studio. Since then, she has continued to photograph birds that had died
from road accidents, preserving them in blocks of ice before photographing them.
Installation view of 《FROZEN GAZE》 ©Museum Hanmi
Confronted by the image of the dead bird,
ZO was reminded of her late father. Through the act of freezing, she faces the
emotions that remained suspended within her—the inability to fully accept her
father’s passing. The title ‘Frozen Gaze’ encapsulates this still, uncirculated
emotion and the artist’s will to look straight into it without turning away.
Behind the seemingly simple image of a bird
encased in ice lies the artist’s repeated process of freezing and melting, a
meditative act through which she reflects on time, memory, and emotional
stillness. Through this work, ZO engages in a contemplative practice of facing
her own memories and emotions with precision and care. Viewers, in turn, are
invited to confront their own experiences of loss and the frozen emotions
residing deep within.
