School of Visual Arts Alumni’s Group Exhibition, “Next Painting: As We Are,” Held at Kukjae Gallery

A group exhibition, “Next Painting: As We Are,” curated by Lee Sung-hui, an alumna of the Department of Art Theory, School of Visual Arts, will be held at Kukje Gallery from June 5 through July 20.

“Next Painting: As We Are” explores the possibilities of painting in an era when the medium has often been declared dead. However, painting regains its distinctiveness amidst the flood of digital and AI technologies through artworks of six millennial-generation artists, including Lee Eunsae and Jeong Yiji – alumni of the School of Visual Arts – Mackerel Safranski, Kim Seeun, Yoo Sinae, and Jeon Byungkoo.

Lee Sung-hui, the curator, explained, “The six participating artists each have completely different characters. I wanted to deliver such a distinguished energy and vibe to our audience. We inquired about ‘the next painting’ in our own way, and then we wanted to proclaim ‘the next painting’ to be ‘K-art.’”

The exhibition highlights that painting is the slowest yet most powerful medium in an era of visual excess and high speed.

Jeong Yiji remarked, “I yearn to paint the moments I feel alive.” As if taking snapshots, Jeong captures landscapes from everyday life with bold framing and simple, solid brushstrokes. Attempting to understand life through painting, Jeong reveals her candid emotions and experiences through her brushwork.

Lee Eunsae translates remnants – a stain, traces, spilled crumbs, and scars – she has brought home from an unfamiliar city into her paintings. Conveying a sense of drifting identity onto canvas, Lee structures her thoughts on the surface of things.

The exhibition, energized by young artists, suggests that painting is still an effective language. The works gleam with greater energy as the exhibition is held at Kukje Gallery, one of Korea’s top three galleries.