Arario Gallery is pleased to participate in "Sector: Material - Real (Selected by Sungwoo Kim, Curator)" at Abu Dhabi Art 2020. Arario Gallery will present a selection of five leather works by artist JANG Jongwan. JANG portrays the endless anxiety of human-centered societies and modern humanity, which emphasizes selfish rationality, from a peculiarly warm but cynical perspective. The artist's works combine colorful and seemingly lighthearted images with his acute view of contemporary society. The ironic landscape maximizes its kitschiness through the use of animal hide, symbolizing the human desire for salvation, the neglect of nature and animals, and foolish, blind faith.

JANG Jongwan has held solo exhibitions at Arario Museum in Space(Seoul, Korea) in 2020, Arario Gallery Seoul in 2017, Kumho Museum of Art(Seoul) and Willing & Dealing(Seoul, Korea) in 2014, He also participated in a group exhibition such as Seoul 284(Seoul, Korea) in 2020, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art(Cheongju, Korea) and BOAN(Seoul, Korea) in 2019, Yeosu International Arts Festival(Yoesu, Korea) and Seoul Museum of Art(Seoul, Korea) in 2018, Hite Collection(Seoul, Korea) in 2017, Arario Museum Tapdong Bike Shop(Jeju, Korea) in 2015, Shenzhen Independent Animation Biennale(Shenzhen, China) and Daegu Art Museum(Daegu, Korea) in 2014, Arco Museum(Seoul, Korea) in 2012, Alt Space Loop(Seoul, Korea) in 2011, Doosan Gallery (Seoul, Korea) in 2009.

Rabbit, cow, lamb, deer and other animal leathers were used to paint on with oil and acrylic paint. When JANG was young, he used to find animal leather carpets from other countries that were brought back as popular souvenirs. As years went by, the artist found a sudden desire to paint on the animal leather carpets, now forgotten and abandoned. At first he only used thrown away or abandoned real leather but later realized that since he is emphasizing the re-use of thrown away objects, there is no need for him to separate real leather from artificial ones. The importance was not about whether the leather is authentic or artificial, but that the carpet was illustrating the skin of an animal.

"No Beast Is There Without Glimmer of Infinity", Sunghui Lee (Hite Collection Curator)