Un certain regard: Kisho Kakutani, Minhye Choi
SEOJUNG ART Busan will hold a duo exhibition titled 《Un certain regard》 featuring works by Kisho Kakutani and Minhye Choi from July 27 to August 25, its first exhibition of the second half of 2024. Kisho Kakutani is noted for his unique expression of landscapes that combine clarity and ambiguity, inviting viewers to explore the dulled sense of reality in everyday life. Minhye Choi, known for creating self-reflective narratives through images and texts, traverses various themes such as art and reality, creativity and appropriation, to construct an original order through recurring motifs. This exhibition is curated to highlight the intriguing attempts of both artists to integrate their respective pictorial motifs into a cohesive artistic world.
Kisho Kakutani utilises scenes captured on his smartphone as motifs for his works. While photographs are typically used to document daily life, the artist begins his work by selecting images from vague memories where there is no clear reason for taking them. Using photographs as references, he starts by painting the blurry areas of his artworks and then meticulously details the remaining sections. The intentionally blurred parts serve as a direct 'filter', functioning as a conduit between the artwork and the viewer while also acting as a protective barrier that prevents direct interaction between the artist, the work, and the viewer.
In this exhibition, the artworks Frosted Window and Curtainfeature different types and functions of filters. In the former, the central theme is blended, inviting viewers to penetrate the filter and enter the artwork’s realm. In the latter, the central character is sharply depicted while the surroundings are treated ambiguously, encouraging viewers to imagine the world that expands beyond the canvas. The contrast between the blurry and clear landscapes reflects our memories and experiences, guiding an exploration of both the unconscious and reality.
Minhye Choi experiments with dynamically exposing novel subjects like classical statues and minimalist blocks on the canvas. Her work sometimes transforms texts into images and even resurrects figures inspired by Egyptian mythology, like Anubis, the god of death. The grey creature she has named ‘Image Hunter’ wields a brush, edits selected images and hunts objects to place them on the canvas.
Image Hunter fills a blank canvas to satisfy the artist's desire for possession, representing and organising references on her behalf. The carefully crafted patterns and vibrant objects are skillfully cut and arranged. The process of designating and creatively composing potential paintings forms the artist’s unique artistic language. This unexpected occupation of space is an attempt to transcend the limitations of text and image, leaving traces of exploration.
The diverse motifs and strategic styles of these contemporaneous artists create engaging storytelling opportunities for the viewer. For Kisho Kakutani, the coincidence and time of immersing in the artwork are paramount. Thus, sudden images within his artwork move us through familiar yet unexpected moments. Meanwhile, Minhye Choi's work emphasises the careful process of arranging and varying self-reflective symbols. The real or imaginary worlds that these artists depict are continuously evolving. This exhibition invites us to explore the utopia they consistently strive to convey through their works.
