Hong Sungchul graduated from Hongik University’s Department of Sculpture (1994) and obtained a master’s degree in Fine Art / Integrated Media from the California Institute of the Arts (2001).
Charles Saatchi, the collector and art
dealer who helped elevate Damien Hirst to global stardom, is known for his
immense influence in the international art world—so much so that the mere fact
that “Saatchi bought it” can significantly raise an artwork’s value. He is
often referred to as a “hit-maker” in the art scene. Now, a list of 34 Korean
artists selected by Saatchi has been revealed.
On the 15th, the lineup for the exhibition
《Korean Eye 2012》, which
will be held for two months starting July 23 at Saatchi Gallery, was announced.
The selected artists range widely in age, from their early 30s to their late
50s. While a few are already well-known, most have not been prominently
featured in the domestic commercial gallery scene.
The oldest participant is Hyung Koo Kang
(58), a mid-career artist known for hyperrealistic portraits of famous figures
on canvas. The youngest participants are four artists born in 1979: Jonggeon
Lee, Kim DongYoon, Seunghee Hong, and Jiyen Lee.
The list also includes Choe U-ram, known
for his kinetic artworks, soap sculptor Meekyoung Shin, and sculptors Debbie
Han and Lee Jae-hyo, who recently held a mid-career retrospective at the
Sungkok Art Museum.
Sculptor Bahk Seonghi, currently holding a
solo exhibition at Artside Gallery in Tongui-dong, and Jang Seunghyo, whose
work blurs the boundaries between sculpture, photography, and media, were also
selected. Mid-career artists Moon Beom and Yeesookyung also stand out.
Other participating artists include Oh
Jung Il, Koo Sungsoo, Je Baak, Myung Gyun You, Chongwoon Choi, Joonsung Bae,
Yoo Haeri, Han Hyoseok, Kim Hyuen Jun, Lee Kwang-ho, and Hong Sungchul.
Additionally, Kim Byoungho, Sim Seungwook, Gilwoo Lee, Jung Seung, Ahn Doojin,
Lee Moon Joo, Cho Duck Hyun, Hong Yooyoung, Chul Hyun Ahn, and Chae Mi-Hyun
will present their works. Many of the selected artists are not yet widely
known.
Nigel Hurst, CEO of the Saatchi Gallery,
stated, “We carefully selected 34 artists who represent contemporary Korean art
from a pool of 2,000 Korean artists,” adding, “Audiences around the world will
be surprised by the diversity and dynamism of Korean contemporary art.”
The Saatchi Gallery not only selected the
artists but also personally chose the works. Out of approximately 28,000
pieces, only 100 were selected. Independent curator Lee Daehyung commented,
“Given the rising economic status of the Korean art market, it would have been
difficult for the Saatchi Gallery to overlook it.”
《Korean Eye》 is organized by the UK-based sports marketing company Parallel Media
Group and sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank Korea.
