DOOSAN Gallery New York is pleased to present the solo exhibition of Dongju Kang, the recipient of the 5th annual DOOSAN Artist Award. As her New York debut, this exhibition features a selection from her works such as The Moon Drawing (2013), Light Drawing (2015), and Ground Drawing (2015).

Dongju Kang’s practice has consisted of observing every corner of Seoul and recording the subtle changes in the city based on the different times. The artist has avoided daytime where the light brings many things into view and has rather opted to make drawings during the nighttime when much visual information becomes hidden and more variable and non-visible elements are revealed. 

The Moon Drawing (2013) is the result of the artist following the moon from the Seoul night sky, recording it on video, then drawing it on paper and carbon paper overlapped together. The magnum opus of this series entitled The Moon of 324 Seconds (2013) takes the frequency, time, and scale of the moon as seen in the recording, then converts them into numerical values, then draws the moon adapted as one with a diameter of 42 inches.

Kang's recent pieces Ground Drawing (2015) and Light Drawing (2015) depicts the artist's movement from her home towards an undecided destination, each time moving in three different routes then returning back to her home. During this course, the artist would take hundred steps, pause, then on paper overlapped with carbon paper on the ground, record the texture of the surface, creating Ground Drawing. Then, using one piece of paper but changing over several carbon papers, created Light Drawing,  attempting to capture the moment where she was still. Through this type of process, the artist shows the changes within space and time in a limited but analytical way.

Korean artists born after the 1980s living through the “post-medium” era are characterized by employing new media technology or making socio-political commentary in their work. However, Dongju Kang differentiates herself from this group by working in a somewhat traditional method of drawing. This exhibition will provide a good opportunity to observe the current status and position of drawing within Korean contemporary art and its various potentialities. 

References

• 《서울 (Seoul)》