Yoon Sang-geon Solo Exhibition "Forms of Wishing" to be held at Arian Gallery in Busan

The solo exhibition "Forms of Wishing" by artist Yoon Sang-geon, who expresses the desire for human well-being and protection through sculptures using metal and digital technology, is being held at Arian Gallery in Busan. The exhibition presents 14 works that reinterpret past sculptures and cultural memories in the language of modern craft.

Arian Gallery announced that the solo exhibition "Forms of Wishing" by Yoon Sang-geon, a selected exclusive artist, opened on the 8th. The exhibition will take place at Arian Gallery on the 3rd floor of Space Dal in Haeundae District, Busan, until October 23.

This exhibition focuses on the act of humans creating forms while wishing for the well-being of themselves and others. Based on cultural images remaining in museum artifacts, images in art history, photographs, catalogs, and digital archives, Yoon Sang-geon has been creating sculptures that contain meanings of life and protection.

The artist calls these works 'Creatures.' These forms, which are difficult to define as specific humans or animals, cross the boundaries between living beings and objects; some works possess functional uses in daily life, such as lighting, mirrors, vases, or tables. This is an attempt to expand the sculptures beyond being mere objects of appreciation into beings that form relationships with humans within living spaces.

Various techniques such as digital modeling, 3D printing, metal casting and molding, welding, polishing, and coloring are utilized in the production process. After designing the forms with digital technology, the works are completed through manual metalworking. In the process of realizing forms that existed as images and data into sculptures with materiality, technology and manual labor are combined.

The exhibition features works produced from 2015 to 2025, including 〈Creature 03〉 (2025). Works using red copper, cedar, and pigments explore the relationship between objects and living beings by combining metal and plant-based materials.

The artist's perspective on cultural images is also a major axis of the exhibition. While referencing images of non-Western forms such as African sculptures, rather than simply borrowing the appearance, he reconstructs cultural memories transmitted through museums, art history, and digital archives from a contemporary perspective.

Kim Ju-ok, an art critic from Seoul National University of Science and Technology who wrote the exhibition text, interprets Yoon Sang-geon's work by distinguishing it from the 'Primitivism' of early 20th-century Western modernism. The explanation is that he does not stop at borrowing the forms of non-Western cultures, but reinterprets the history and memory of how cultural images have moved through the materials and production methods of modern craft.

Yoon Sang-geon stated, "I hope to breathe life into matter while wishing for someone's well-being, and that the beings created in such a way can stay by the side of humans, even if only for a moment."

Yoon Sang-geon, who studied at the Department of Metal Craft Design and the graduate school of Seoul National University of Science and Technology, has participated in craft-related exhibitions and art fairs, including his 2025 solo exhibition "INFUSE: Breathe Life Into" at KCDF Gallery. He has also won awards at the Korea Land and Housing Corporation Young Artists Art Competition, Iksan Korean Craft Competition, and Korea Art Exhibition.

The exhibition runs until October 23, and a Finissage event will be held on the 21st at 4 PM. Viewing hours are from 12 PM to 7 PM, and the gallery is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays. Admission is free.

Read the original (Korean)