Exhibition Information

Exhibition view

(Image Source = ngalleryart)

Exhibition view

(Image Source = ngalleryart)

Exhibition view

(Image Source = ngalleryart)

Exhibition view

(Image Source = ngalleryart)

			On December 5, 2023, N Gallery will host the exhibition "<3 Voices: Transforming Everyday Objects into Art>" featuring the design furniture, paintings, and crafts of artists Normann Copenhagen, Kim Kang Yong, and Inchin Lee. Bringing together works that produce different sounds yet convey stories of natural cycles and environmental friendliness, the exhibition showcases these diverse pieces in one space. The inspiration for this exhibition originated from contemplation on how we perceive our relationship with the natural environment surrounding us. The current challenge is to live in harmony with nature rather than exploiting it at will. Normann Copenhagen's Bit Stool, crafted from recycled plastic discarded due to human convenience, and Kim Kang Yong's artworks that recreate sand, formed by crushing rocks, into paintings with sculptural qualities, exemplify the idea of repurposing materials in alignment with nature. Additionally, Inchin Lee's ceramic works, created through the fusion of decomposed inorganic and organic matter, depict the cycle of life as soil, the foundation of life, is regenerated. Through these artists' creations, the exhibition aims to offer a visual experience of the essence of nature, its cycles, and the harmony achieved with humanity.
 

Normann Copenhagen is a leading design company in Denmark that continuously strives for a sustainable business model. Taking responsibility for the impact on future generations, they present new designs based on three principles: sustainability, innovation, and transparency. They confront discarded and overlooked elements in nature, transforming them into unique works of art previously unseen in the world. Normann Copenhagen's Bit Stool is a circular stool design with a distinctive structure and thickness. It is made from 100% recycled household and industrial plastic fragments. The thousands of pieces create a pixelated surface, giving the stool a unique appearance. Plastic bottle caps, once considered useless, are transformed into sustainable beauty, becoming valuable works of art that illuminate our surroundings with their beauty.


Kim Kang Yong explores the theme of "repetitive formalism," incorporating dots, lines, and surfaces, with the essence of his work symbolizing the primal element of nature: sand. During his time working in New York, the artist drew inspiration from the bricks that filled the walls of the city's buildings, and he began to depict bricks in his art. The sand, a material in his paintings, serves as a metaphorical expression of the preciousness and dignity of human beings, as grains of sand come together to form bricks, and bricks stack up to create buildings, mirroring the way cells come together to form people, and people come together to form society. His works, depicted on a solidly cohesive foundation of sand, often confuse viewers as to whether they are looking at actual bricks or images of bricks. The shadows drawn on the firmly consolidated sand in his pieces sometimes create a sense of ambiguity, prompting the audience to question whether they are perceiving real bricks or images of bricks. Kim's imaginative and expressive works encapsulate the world we live in, representing it through his artistic lens. Transitioning from his early monotone-focused works, he introduces a spectrum of colors, enriching the tonal palette of his art.


Inchin Lee, in pursuit of the order of nature, utilizes the firing process of a wood-burning kiln without the use of glaze. Through the primal elements of earth and fire, he creates raw and free ceramic works. In the process of shaping forms using the elemental materials of fire and clay, he achieves a harmony between human and nature. His works, revealing the texture and purity of the earth closest to its essence, are reborn into forms that can seamlessly integrate into everyday life. While the term "ceramics" traditionally referred to everyday items like dishes, vases, and porcelain, in contemporary times, it has expanded to include artistic creations crafted from clay materials with artistic creativity. Lee's creations, though simple and unassuming, exude a quiet resonance through their deep red hues and rustic objects, offering a serene presence in and of themselves.
 

The contemporary sensibility that blurs the boundaries between design and art directs attention to the essential aspect of objects rather than their functionality. Although each artist has a different expressive formal language, they share a commonality in embracing nature. This exhibition not only showcases Kim's paintings but also introduces three-dimensional sculptural works. With Lee's jars and ceramic benches, along with Copenhagen's Bit Stool, it provides a moment to contemplate the beauty created through the harmony of nature and humanity, represented by the harmonious blend of these three different tones.


(Source = ngalleryart)