Kukje Gallery presents the exhibition 《Cosmetic Girls》 by photographer Heinkuhn Oh.

Since his ‘Ajumma’ series in 1999, Oh has continuously explored and visualized specific social groups and classes within Korean society. In the late 1990s, his series ‘Ajumma’ captured the anxious gaze of middle-aged women in a country dominated by so-called "ajussis" (middle-aged men). In 〈Girl Act〉(2004), he depicted acting school students who imitate teenage girls, using their typical gestures and expressions to highlight how deeply entertainment and celebrity culture has permeated Korean society.

In this exhibition 《Cosmetic Girls》, as the title suggests, the artist examines the anxious desires and awkward femininity of teenage girls through their candid makeup practices. By presenting large-scale portraits of heavily made-up teenage girls—scouted from the streets and shown in such high resolution that even their fine hairs and pores are visible—Oh critically and objectively investigates not the makeup itself, but the desire for and attitude toward the image of makeup.

The appeal of Oh’s photography lies in his ability to capture individuals from social groups that have traditionally been excluded from the photographic gaze, and to frame them with his distinctive perspective. In this series, he goes a step further: by presenting familiar street imagery as if it were foreign, he prompts viewers to step back from the emotional intimacy and relational familiarity we often expect from portrait photography.

Through the aesthetics of cosmetic rituals—modern life’s coded order and invisible mechanism of control—Oh invites us to consider the social structures that surround and shape individuals.

This exhibition marks Heinkuhn Oh’s first solo show at Kukje Gallery and is the artist’s first presentation at a domestic gallery since his exhibition at Art Sonje Center in 2008. It offers an opportunity to encounter a broader selection of his new works.

References

• 국제갤러리 (Kukje Gallery)