Lee Gapchul was born in Hapcheon, Gyeongnam, and grew up in Jinju. Currently, he is represented by Galerie VU' in France.
This exhibition goes beyond a
simple record of moments shaped by light and earth, exploring how time is
accumulated and how acts of virtuous artistic practice are preserved and
remembered.
“Jeokseon” (積善) refers to the accumulation of good deeds for the benefit of the
world. The family precept of “Jeokseon,” bestowed by King Seonjo, the 14th king
of the Joseon Dynasty, has long been upheld at the Nongam Jongtaek. While the
concept of “Jeokseon” may feel unfamiliar today, the exhibition reinterprets it
in a contemporary context, emphasizing how sustained repetition has comforted
individuals and communities alike.
Photographer Lee Gapchul, who has
long recorded moments of rupture and transience through dense worlds of
ink-like blackness, offers a distinctive aesthetic experience through
painterly, highly concentrated sensory elements that flow like ink. His works render
the nature and accumulated time of Nongam Jongtaek in richly layered monochrome
tones.
Ceramic artist Kim Seongcheol,
who produces traditional oil lamps, engages in repetitive practices that mark
the birth and extinction of light. By combining traditional techniques with
contemporary sensibilities, he pursues form, function, and aesthetic beauty
simultaneously.
Through the exhibition 《The Layer of Virtue》, visitors are invited
to experience how these two artists explore the accumulation of time through
light and earth, and how virtuous artistic acts are practiced and embodied.
