Exhibition : HAN Young-wook / Noteentiendo

 

 "Perhaps it is that we travel to seek; one's face, the will that calls out for one's face from a void; where we begin.”

Han Young-wook's work begins with drawing. It starts with hanging the aluminum panel on the wall; then followed by drawing a sketch with the right size of a needle. To be precise, he scratches it. The paint is applied as to heal the shallow and deep cuts on the surface; then it gets scratched again. The process is repeated till it reveals the faces. Such faces then, lay on the ambiguous ground between painting and sculpture which makes the reproduced images on the surface seem nothing but real.

Born in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do in 1963, Han Young-wook was drawn to books as a teenager. In his adolescence, he was captivated by the thought of the anguish of a man and existentialism. His interest in the idea of infinite universe and finite human had already been deep-rooted through reading. During the second year of high school, he started washing his hair with cold water every morning; He then has taken to hugging Platanus trees on the street so that he could be aware of the tension between the reality and himself. Those trees, firmly rooted in the ground, at the same time, helped him to stay in the sense of reality. To cope with the long-lasting agony, it was then his idea to become a painter as he believed that human energy can be condensed into a painting. It was the persistent agony on the matter of existence that finally led him to the world of painting.

Face, 2020, Oil on Aluminum, Scretch, 162 × 119 cm

Han Young-wook graduated from Kangwon National University's Department of Art Education, Department of Western Painting in Hong-ik University, and graduate school, though he was teaching at an art academy already before entering to college—thanks to his outstanding painting skills. Since then, he has run an art academy himself, and in the meantime, he has completed graduate school as well.

He stopped painting for about 12 years at an age of 24, then got back on the track slight after of an age of what people say that short-lived geniuses die. The first thing he did after his return was to run on sunny afternoon, around 1 or 2 p.m. The run—while feeling his heart about to burst under sun rays beaming through his swollen eyes—was to escape from the past. Through the vigorous daily routine, he was able to refine his body and mind.

In his mid-20s, Han Young-wook, who had difficulty adjusting his senses due to a broken nerve in his right hand due to an accident, was unable to use accurate control of his fingers. Nevertheless, he constantly sought new ways, never giving up. He was fascinated by silver foil at the Lee Joong-seop exhibition, which he accidentally stopped by, and later conducted several experiments using other materials, such as cardboard and Hanji coated with silver foil, rather than canvas. By this time, he probably took his first step on the path of success—though he still had to wander off his friends’ studios for three years without having a decent one of his own. It was a series of challenges.

Face, 2007, Oil on Aluminum, Scretch, 130 × 97 cm

In the early days of his work, he found objects to be drawn and took pictures of them. He took pictures and drew countless stray cats and dogs that somewhat resembled himself. The cat in the rain and the dog running around were depicted with bold expressions and fresh techniques. As a result of these efforts, he set a record of sweeping major art exhibitions in Korea in 2006. He became distinguished by winning the Shin Saimdang Art Exhibition Grand Prize, the Danwon Art Exhibition Grand Prize, and the Gangwon Art Exhibition Grand Prize at the same time; soon he signed an exclusive contract to a famous gallery in Korea. As his work started to be sold to public, he explored the preservation method of his work, resulting in the introduction of aluminum panels.

Just as pupae breaks out of the chrysalis and becomes a butterfly, the presence in his aluminum panel breaks out and finds its own shape. He deals with the existence of existence by engraving every aspect and moment of life—and this is how he puts his effort to cherish every moment of life. Countless strokes as a whole become a life. Han Young-wook has made his name known internationally by participating in large-scale international art fairs and major auctions several times. He has held 4th solo exhibitions in Korea including [Notentiendo] at Chuncheon Culture and Arts Center; followed by the exhibitions in 2008, 2011, and 2013.

Stranger, 2015, Oil on Aluminum, Scretch, 259 × 190 cm

In this solo exhibition, which will be held for the first time in more than a decade, audiences will be introduced to the entire history of Han Young-wook's work; his early works from 2006 to recent ones. Audiences are invited to appreciate the power of narrative inherent in his works. These faces reproduced by the Han are, "Noteentiendo,", or "Unknown faces," as suggested in the title of the exhibition. The presence in in these faces speak to audiences with irony as they seem more real than the reality as the description of the detail is remarkable—every single strand of hair, pores, and wrinkles, yet the faces do not belong to anyone; they do not exist. It is the work that brought by combining an anonymous image with the imagination; it is a world of unreality (and hyperrealism). Han is committed to revealing the inner side of discovery, not just to reproduce images.

As soon as walking into the entrance, his latest works on aluminum panels lead the audience. The mega-sized work, which portrays a large, anonymous crowd—880cm wide—overpowers the atmosphere while the Face series, which features individual faces, radiates immense energy. The faces portrayed by Han are men and women of all ages. He tried to capture a young child's face with the free mind of the young, and innocence. The piece that portraying young woman represent a short-lived moment of brilliance while the face of the elderly man bears both the joy and sorrow of life. In particular, the old woman in his work embraces reality with grace as the goddess of earth.

Dog, 2009, Oil on FOIL, Scretch, 53 × 73 cm

It is not only those unworldly faces that he portrayed in his works. He also had several chances to work on portraits. In particular, he depicted his mother from her younger days, captured in his mother's wedding photo, and the other piece of her in present days. By juxtaposition of two, audience may feel the sense of deep affection of Han toward his mother. For Han Young-wook, the entire work process is based on his love for humanity, the motivation for choosing art as a life-long mission. For his affection for man, he tries to approach the truth of life which is the message that he wants to covey through his art. This is why he depicts warmth on the surface of cold metal aluminum.

When his work meets the right lighting, at the right position, the work then gets completed. The completion of the work is not the end of the process though; it is the beginning as the universe unfolds as the audience eyes the works. When the audience encounters Han Young-wook's work, they are overwhelmed by the image first, then as they get close, they marvel at the detailed expression, when take a step back again, they are taken aback and nervous by the sorrow of the face, and the tension. Countless strokes on the metal panel serves as a proof of our lives. While looking into the eyes of the face, viewers experience a commune with the faces. A particular section of the exhibition hall has a dark room, where is intended to maximize this experience while adding vividness by carefully controlling the light that reflects on the scratched surface.

FACE, 2021, Oil on Aluminum, Scratch, 160 × 132 cm

"Perhaps it is that we travel to seek; one's face, the will that calls out for one's face from a void; where we begin.”

Han Young-wook, he returns to that origin—where we begin—and searches for the faces. [Notentiendo] the face of "Unknown faces”

THEO Gallery official Artsy show page : https://www.artsy.net/show/theo-noteentiendo