Seol Kwon – Evolution

“Evolution”, a series of new paintings by Seol Kwon will be debuting at Parat Kunstraum, concurrent with Art Basel and Zürich Art Weekend.

The works are lush colorful abstractions, which initially seem to be solely painterly and expressive gestural marks, but are, upon closer inspection, palimpsests of concentrated energy and shapes that are variously scaled repetition. Innovative and surprising luminescent neon elements are integrated, sometimes as abstractions, — and also as descriptive lines that complete an elusive figurative portrait. These neon elements add another dimension and mystery, speaking to the conflict of human-cyborgian contemporary life.

The works in the exhibition range from ‘pure’ abstractions that can be simultaneously interpreted as both cellular microcosms and universal macrocosms. These abstract paintings speak to a certain purity, universality and joy of painting in disjointed patterns of form, colour and line.

Born in Seoul, Korea, Seol studied painting at the School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1995, followed by a postgraduate degree in New Media Art at Haute Ecole d’art et du design, Genève (HEAD) in 2008. Her practice ranges from Drawing, Painting and Photography. Her work has been exhibited in Switzerland where she resides, and internationally. This series of previously unseen canvases were created during the Covid-19 pandemic when her work shifted from being largely figurative to abstract.

The canvases start using traditional asian script brushes with silk ink which are slowly and thinly layered upon with pigment, gouache, acrylic and occasionally pastel. Kwon revisits the canvases repeatedly over extended periods to time in order to achieve the right balance. Using an unusual range of vivid hues from neon yellows, pinks and greens counterpointed with cool sapphire blues, periwinkle, mint greens, deep reds and browns, creates a dynamic, sometimes pulsing surface. At first invisible, fine lines and tiny circles create luminosity and volumous forms. The paintings are, in fact, a record of conversation between the artist and canvas about experimentations in deep consciousness and the resonant patterns in existence.

Opening hours Tue-Fri 11 am – 6 pm, Sat 11 am – 5 pm

Exhibition Duration 09 June – 18 June 2022

www.seolkwon.com

Location:
Parat Kunstraum
Limmatstrasse 204
8005 Zürich
Switzerland