In August, numerous exhibitions are taking place across South Korea. Among these, several noteworthy exhibitions featuring domestic artists are particularly deserving of attention.

Johyun Gallery Dalmaji: Lee Bae “Flowing”

Lee Bae, renowned for his work with charcoal, is holding his solo exhibition "Flowing" at Johyun Gallery in Busan from May 10 to August 18. This exhibition features paintings, sculptures, installations, and, for the first time, video work, demonstrating a significant expansion of his media.

He explores the boundaries of various media to document his movements in diverse ways. In other words, by using charcoal, he seeks to make visible the ephemeral nature of his physical presence—the fleeting moments of his work—through a range of artistic mediums.

In 2023, Lee Bae installed a large-scale sculpture at Channel Gardens, Rockefeller Center in New York, and this year he is featured in a related exhibition at the 60th Venice Biennale. These prominent international exhibitions have sustained significant interest in his work in the market.

Notably, in May 2024, his work Brushstroke set a new high at Christie's Hong Kong auction. The 2021 piece Brushstroke 3-88 was sold for 210 million Korean Won, breaking the series' record. 

His flatwork, particularly the Brushstroke series, which displays various brushstroke forms using charcoal powder mixed with ink on paper, and the Issu du feu series, which involves densely arranged and smoothed charcoal pieces on canvas, are highly popular among collectors.

The exhibition features 20 pieces from the Acrylic Medium series, created in 2019, which involve applying thick, wax-like materials in multiple layers. These works are priced between 40 to 80 million Korean Won, with most already sold. Additionally, the new sculptures are priced around 30 to 40 million Korean Won.

Hakgojae Gallery: Kim Sundoo “The day of dazzling”

Kim Sundoo's solo exhibition "The day of dazzling" is being held at Hakgojae from July 17 to August 17. The title of the exhibition, "The day of dazzling," is borrowed from the poem by So Chong-ju, reflecting the artist's long-standing contemplation of the essence of life and thematic consciousness. He is recognized for his reinterpretation of traditional Korean painting with a modern sensibility, building a unique artistic world. 

The artist works using the ‘Jangji’ technique, which involves layering colors on traditional Korean paper, Jangji. This paper, known for its thick and dense texture, can absorb multiple layers of color, allowing for the creation of vibrant yet transparent hues. By layering powdered pigments on Jangji, he adds depth to his work.

Having spent his childhood surrounded by nature, Kim Sundoo's work is deeply inspired by natural themes, including birds and wildflowers. He captures beautiful moments in natural landscapes and translates them into colors that are both delicate and vivid. His art not only celebrates the beauty of nature but also delves into the essence of life, contemplating themes such as life and death, hope and despair, and beauty and emptiness. 

This exhibition offers a comprehensive view of the artist's work, including the intricately detailed series Daytime Stars and Flowers That Never Wither, which depict natural beauty, as well as On the Way in Midnight, which conveys the mood of nighttime paths. Additionally, the Beautiful Days series, featuring portraits of prominent figures such as poets and athletes, will also be showcased.

Although he is not a highly active artist in the secondary market, Kim Sundoo is notable for his achievements in modernizing traditional Korean painting and for his ongoing artistic endeavors and the expansion of his artistic vision. The sizes of the landscape artworks range from 12F to 300F, with prices around 40 million Korean Won per 100F. The Beautiful Days series is priced at approximately 12 million Korean Won for a 30F piece.

TANG Contemporary: Woo Kookwon “My Universe”

The solo exhibition 《My Universe》 by artist Woo Kookwon, his first solo show in three years, is taking place at Tang Contemporary from July 20 to August 24. The title of the exhibition carries a dual meaning: it refers both to the vast galaxy and to his daughter, Wooju, whose name translates to "universe" in Korean. 

Through this exhibition, Woo Kookwon brings together themes he has explored over the years, including "Intergenerational relationships," "reflection on life," and "the exploration of the human inner self." Among the artworks, the character "Wooju" appears in diapers in most of the paintings, encapsulating messages intended for his daughter.

The exhibition features a range of works, including the Dear Daughter Series, which conveys messages to Wooju, the Hokusai Series, inspired by the legendary Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), the Princess Series, and the Walden Series, reflecting the philosophy of David Thoreau (1817–1862), who led an experimental life in the forest. These series showcase the deepening and broadening scope of Woo's artistic world.

Woo Kookwon is one of the notable artists in their 30s and 40s who emerged during the domestic art market boom from 2021 to 2022. His work Que Sera Sera gained significant attention when it sold for approximately 300 million Korean Won at a Christie's Hong Kong auction in May 2022. Initially estimated at 130 million Korean Won, the artwork was fiercely contested and ultimately sold for 1.89 million Hong Kong Dollars.

Additionally, all of the works exhibited in the September 2021 auction in Korea were sold for prices 3 to 4 times higher than their starting bids. Moreover, at the “I'm Your Father” solo exhibition held by Noblesse Collection, all 9 new works were sold before the opening.

While recent evaluations suggest a downturn in the auction market, this exhibition demonstrates that Woo Kookwon continues to receive significant support from collectors. Despite featuring approximately 30 new large-scale works, mostly around 100F in size, most of them were sold by the time the exhibition opened, and all were reported to be sold out by the end of the show. 

The approximate prices were set at 53,000 USD for a 50F and 113,500 USD for a 200F, indicating that the "Woo Kookwon Syndrome" has maintained a solid reputation with minimal fluctuation.

References

• 조현갤러리 달맞이, 이배, 흐르는
  
• 프로세스로 매체확장을 시도하는 이배 작가
  
• 워홀 '플라워' 116억9000만원…이성자(14억)·이배(2억1000만원) 최고가 경신
  
• 학고재, 김선두, 푸르른 날
  
• 김선두 '푸르른 날'
  
• [이 아침의 화가] 한국화의 현대화 앞장 김선두
  
• 새로운 우주를 만나고 돌아온 미술시장의 스타
  
• '완판 작가' 우국원 '케세라세라' 3억 낙찰...작가 최고가 경신
  
• 억대 완판행진···손예진·조윤희도 찜한 우국원 '특별한 부자展'
  
• 나의 우주; My Universe