The exhibition “Braiding Sweetgrass”, curated by Independent curator Nayun Lee, will be held at Mana Art Gallery in Bangkok from November 22 to December 8. This exhibition provides a space to reflect on and imagine coexistence between humans and non-humans through the works of five artists from Korea and Thailand.

Drawing on the concept of reciprocity, “Braiding Sweetgrass” explores non-capitalistic relationships between art and nature. It references Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass, from which it takes its title, as well as cultural critic Lewis Hyde’s theories on the “gift economy.”

According to Lewis Hyde’s theory of the “gift economy,” true art, akin to nature’s gifts, provides cultural and emotional enrichment to society and cannot simply be measured by market value. It also emphasizes that artists resist commodification and choose to engage with their work as acts of giving. This ethos extends to the featured exhibition, which integrates non-capitalistic methods throughout its creation.

In this exhibition, Korean artist Hwa Seon Yang presents works capturing the life cycle of the Korean fir, which continues to fight for survival and resilience amid the climate crisis, inviting reflection on the coexistence of humanity and nature.

Another participating Korean artist, Junsoo Kim, explores the inherent contradictions between art and capitalism. He presents paintings that resist commodification and small leather works created using tattoo techniques, distancing themselves from the logic of market capitalism.

Alongside these two Korean artists, the exhibition also features works by Thai artists, including NET Watith Tangjai, who participated in an international special exhibition at the Jeju Museum of Art two years ago, as well as Lugpliw Junpudsa and Virunan Chiddaycha.

Former director of the Jeju Provincial Museum of Art, Nayun Lee is a native of Seogwipo, who graduated from Hongik University's Department of Painting and majored in art criticism at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York, USA. In 2015, she founded Quelpart Press and published 『Fresh Art New York』 and 『Refreshing Days New York』, and in 2017, she founded the cultural magazine 『Seaweed』 and published up to 7 issues.

In 2018, she served as the director of Birdhouse Project Jeju, where she organized various projects and served as a non-executive director of the Jeju Arts and Culture Foundation. In the same year, he gained experience in various fields such as exhibition, criticism, and administration while running 『Seaweed』.

In November 2020, she was appointed director of Jeju Art Museum and served until 2023, and during her tenure, she contributed to the development of Jeju's art scene by organizing the 'Project Jeju' series of exhibitions. In December 2023, she completed her term as director of the Jeju Art Museum and is now working as an independent curator.

References

• 마나 아트 갤러리 (Mana Art Gallery)

Ji Yeon Lee has been working as an editor for the media art and culture channel AliceOn since 2021 and worked as an exhibition coordinator at samuso (now Space for Contemporary Art) from 2021 to 2023.