GWON Osang

GWON Osang (b. 1974) is a sculptor who has constantly questioned the identity of sculpture and tried to converge new experimental media into new form structure. His varied approach for exploring the existence of sculptures is composed of five series, Deodorant Type, The Sculpture, The Flat, New Structure, and Relief. The "deodorant type" was shaped in ‘ISO-pink(hardened Styrofoam)’ to break the notion that sculpture must be heavy, and the outer edges were covered with hundreds of photographs directly taken or collected for supporting light sculptures and expanded the sculpture while presenting new materials.

"The Sculpture" is a series that unravels the meaning of traditional sculptures that try to realize the ideal of the time in the closest proximity to reality. Considering the definition of sculpture by using bronze, a traditional material of sculpture, to bring the high-value consumers, the ideal of the 21st century such as Lamborghini and Bugatti, close to the actual shape but makes the surface treatment which has not been refined, unlike the traditional method. "New Structure" is a series of works that have been expanded to three dimensions by adding Alexander Calder's Stabile concept to the "Flat" series. The series, which mainly occupies spaces with aluminum structures, adds to the characteristics of existing image acquisition and placement, and questions the relationship between sculpture and space through the perspective of the artist who travels between 2D and 3D. The latest series, "Relief," is a new method of traditional carving, by building the two-dimensional plane in three dimensions, after realizing the exclusive image collection and arrangement on a flat, original version.

GWON Osang was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1974. GWON graduated from the Department of Sculpture of Hongik University College of Fine Arts in 2000 and obtained his master's degree from the graduate school of the same university in 2004. He has held solo and collaborative exhibitions at Lotte Avenuel Art Hall (Seoul, Korea, 2023), Ilmin Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea, 2022), Suwon Museum of Art (Suwon, Korea, 2022), ARARIO GALLERY (Seoul, Korea; Shanghai, China, 2016), among others. His solo exhibitions have been showcased worldwide at venues such as Hermès (Sydney, Australia, 2016), Waterfall Gallery (New York, US, 2016), Okinawa Contemporary Art Center (Okinawa, Japan, 2015), Joyce Paris (Paris, France, 2014), HADA Contemporary (London, UK, 2013), Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester, UK, 2008). Group exhibitions showcasing his works have been held at ARARIO GALLERY (Seoul, Korea, 2024; 2023; 2018; 2014; 2011; 2010), Gyeongnam Art Museum (Changwon, Korea, 2023), V&A Museum (London, UK, 2023), The Shop House (Hong Kong, 2022), Seoul National University Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea, 2021), Daelim Museum (Seoul, Korea, 2020), Pohang Museum of Steel Art (Pohang, Korea, 2020), Lotte Museum (Seoul, Korea, 2019), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul, Korea, 2015), Singapore Art Museum (Singapore, 2014), Saatchi Gallery (London, UK, 2010), Burger Collection (Berlin, Germany, 2009), Bologna Museum of Modern Art (Bologna, Italy, 2004), and FOAM (Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2003). In addition, GWON has collaborated with various brands such as Riot Games, Jaguar, BMW, Wooyoungmi, and Hermès to bring contemporary art closer to the public. His works are part of the collections at institutions including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Busan Museum of Art, and Leeum Museum of Art in Korea.