Courtesy of Arario Gallery
ARARIO GALLERY is set to participate in the "Modern Women" section of FRIEZE MASTERS 2023, taking place at The Regent’s Park in London from October 11th to 15th. This newly introduced "Modern Women" section of this year's event is curated by Camille MORINEAU and her co-founded organization 'AWARE (Archive of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions).' The section showcases 11 prominent female artists who documented pivotal moments in women's rights and feminism between 1880 and 1980, with individual booths curated for each artist.
JUNG Kangja (1942-2017), the sole Asian artist among the 11 chosen, is set to exhibit significant pieces of her artwork, ranging from her 1966 self-portrait created before her debut, to her return to Korea in 1982. Notably, her work "To Repress" from 1968, previously displayed at Hankook Ilbo in 1969, will be reproduced at the ARARIO GALLERY's booth.
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| ▲ Jung Kangja, Suppress, 1968, Cotton, steel pipe, Dimensions variable, Courtesy of Arario Gallery |
This installation artwork, featuring a steel pipe resting on large pieces of cotton, symbolizes the oppressed existence of women, with the lightweight cotton burdened by the heavy steel. This piece went unnoticed during its time due to other so-called 'happening' works by JUNG, like Transparent Balloons and Nude (1968), as well as Murder at the Han Riverside (1968). JUNG requested the reproduction of this piece for her solo exhibition at ARARIO GALLERY in 2018, which she had prepared during her lifetime. Unfortunately, she couldn't witness the recreated work because she had passed away before the exhibition's opening. While JUNG never explicitly identified as a 'feminist,' her body of work overall reflects an awareness of feminism, as well as the evolving dynamics of gender ideologies and politics during that era.
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| ▲ Jung Kangja, self-portrait, 1975, oil on canvas, 100 x 81 cm, Courtesy of Arario Gallery |
JUNG's 'Batik' pieces will also be showcased. Her first solo exhibition in 1970, titled “Incorporeality,” was forcibly taken down due to its perceived socio-critical elements, which ultimately led the artist to relocate to Singapore in 1977. In Singapore, JUNG decided to learn 'Batik,' an Indonesian traditional dyeing technique, to combat the monotony of life. This technique involves using a stamp-like tool called 'Tjap' to imprint or draw with wax on cloth, followed by dyeing the unwaxed sections before removing the wax with hot water. Batik typically features intricate, repetitive patterns. However, JUNG used the dyed fabric as a canvas for her dynamic figurative paintings. One such artwork, "The Room in Singapore" (1979), is a self-portrait visualizing the inner turmoil and instability she experienced in Singapore. With her Batik works, she successfully participated in a group exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore in 1979 and held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara, Indonesia, in 1980. She later returned to Korea in 1982 and hosted her solo exhibition, "The Batik Exhibition," in the previous Gonggan Art Space, which is now the current ARARIO MUSEUM building. In the "Modern Women" section, an artistic nude self-portrait created by the artist using the Batik technique will be on display. In this self-portrait, a young girl appears to hunch or sit rigidly. The background is filled with interconnected cubes or countless dots within squares, creating the impression of the girl slowly being eroded. This work, which reveals 'femininity,' is seen as a unique expression of womanhood, distinct from works where the artist confidently displayed her nude body.
 |
| ▲ Jung Kangja, Untitled, 1980, Wax-resist dyeing on cloth (Batik Painting), 117 x 87 cm, Courtesy of Arario Gallery |
JUNG was born in Daegu in 1942 and entered the Korean art scene in 1967 by participating in the “Korean Young Artists Association Exhibition” after completing her studies at Hongik University, majoring in Western Painting. During the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, marked by strong military rule and ideological conflicts, she was an active member of both the 'New Exhibition' and 'The Fourth Group.' During this period, she undertook various artistic experiments in an effort to make social statements, gaining significant attention.
However, after her 1970 solo exhibition titled “Incorporeality” was forcefully taken down due to government surveillance and sanctions, she, along with her family, decided to move to Singapore. This forced migration caused her to put her artistic pursuits on hold for over a decade. Her strong social consciousness and sense of identity persisted even during this hiatus.
Upon her return to Korea in 1982, JUNG resumed her artistic journey, using experimental paintings as a medium to express her ideas. Remarkably, despite being diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, she remained dedicated to her work until her final days.
JUNG's artwork was featured in the exhibition "Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul. Currently, her work is on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, with plans for it to be exhibited at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles early next year. Furthermore, solo exhibitions are scheduled to take place at ARARIO GALLERY in Seoul and Shanghai this upcoming November.
Sayart.net
Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com
Jung's Remarkable Journey and Influential Artworks on Display at FRIEZE MASTERS 2023
Courtesy of Arario Gallery
ARARIO GALLERY is set to participate in the "Modern Women" section of FRIEZE MASTERS 2023, taking place at The Regent’s Park in London from October 11th to 15th. This newly introduced "Modern Women" section of this year's event is curated by Camille MORINEAU and her co-founded organization 'AWARE (Archive of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions).' The section showcases 11 prominent female artists who documented pivotal moments in women's rights and feminism between 1880 and 1980, with individual booths curated for each artist.
JUNG Kangja (1942-2017), the sole Asian artist among the 11 chosen, is set to exhibit significant pieces of her artwork, ranging from her 1966 self-portrait created before her debut, to her return to Korea in 1982. Notably, her work "To Repress" from 1968, previously displayed at Hankook Ilbo in 1969, will be reproduced at the ARARIO GALLERY's booth.
|
| ▲ Jung Kangja, Suppress, 1968, Cotton, steel pipe, Dimensions variable, Courtesy of Arario Gallery |
This installation artwork, featuring a steel pipe resting on large pieces of cotton, symbolizes the oppressed existence of women, with the lightweight cotton burdened by the heavy steel. This piece went unnoticed during its time due to other so-called 'happening' works by JUNG, like Transparent Balloons and Nude (1968), as well as Murder at the Han Riverside (1968). JUNG requested the reproduction of this piece for her solo exhibition at ARARIO GALLERY in 2018, which she had prepared during her lifetime. Unfortunately, she couldn't witness the recreated work because she had passed away before the exhibition's opening. While JUNG never explicitly identified as a 'feminist,' her body of work overall reflects an awareness of feminism, as well as the evolving dynamics of gender ideologies and politics during that era.
|
| ▲ Jung Kangja, self-portrait, 1975, oil on canvas, 100 x 81 cm, Courtesy of Arario Gallery |
JUNG's 'Batik' pieces will also be showcased. Her first solo exhibition in 1970, titled “Incorporeality,” was forcibly taken down due to its perceived socio-critical elements, which ultimately led the artist to relocate to Singapore in 1977. In Singapore, JUNG decided to learn 'Batik,' an Indonesian traditional dyeing technique, to combat the monotony of life. This technique involves using a stamp-like tool called 'Tjap' to imprint or draw with wax on cloth, followed by dyeing the unwaxed sections before removing the wax with hot water. Batik typically features intricate, repetitive patterns. However, JUNG used the dyed fabric as a canvas for her dynamic figurative paintings. One such artwork, "The Room in Singapore" (1979), is a self-portrait visualizing the inner turmoil and instability she experienced in Singapore. With her Batik works, she successfully participated in a group exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore in 1979 and held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara, Indonesia, in 1980. She later returned to Korea in 1982 and hosted her solo exhibition, "The Batik Exhibition," in the previous Gonggan Art Space, which is now the current ARARIO MUSEUM building. In the "Modern Women" section, an artistic nude self-portrait created by the artist using the Batik technique will be on display. In this self-portrait, a young girl appears to hunch or sit rigidly. The background is filled with interconnected cubes or countless dots within squares, creating the impression of the girl slowly being eroded. This work, which reveals 'femininity,' is seen as a unique expression of womanhood, distinct from works where the artist confidently displayed her nude body.
|
| ▲ Jung Kangja, Untitled, 1980, Wax-resist dyeing on cloth (Batik Painting), 117 x 87 cm, Courtesy of Arario Gallery |
JUNG was born in Daegu in 1942 and entered the Korean art scene in 1967 by participating in the “Korean Young Artists Association Exhibition” after completing her studies at Hongik University, majoring in Western Painting. During the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, marked by strong military rule and ideological conflicts, she was an active member of both the 'New Exhibition' and 'The Fourth Group.' During this period, she undertook various artistic experiments in an effort to make social statements, gaining significant attention.
However, after her 1970 solo exhibition titled “Incorporeality” was forcefully taken down due to government surveillance and sanctions, she, along with her family, decided to move to Singapore. This forced migration caused her to put her artistic pursuits on hold for over a decade. Her strong social consciousness and sense of identity persisted even during this hiatus.
Upon her return to Korea in 1982, JUNG resumed her artistic journey, using experimental paintings as a medium to express her ideas. Remarkably, despite being diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, she remained dedicated to her work until her final days.
JUNG's artwork was featured in the exhibition "Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul. Currently, her work is on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, with plans for it to be exhibited at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles early next year. Furthermore, solo exhibitions are scheduled to take place at ARARIO GALLERY in Seoul and Shanghai this upcoming November.
Sayart.net
Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com
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