Seung Hwan Ryu
Artist Statement
My artwork is created as if information, knowledge and enlightenment discovered in daily life are recorded, displaying the change and flow in the content of three factors – time, space and human. Dominant themes include life, language, silence, myth, the future world, and fantasy.
The work itself is based upon time, space movement, multi-view, and perspective different from the Western perspective.
Man has life and an every day. My work expresses the image (visible and invisible) obtained in the space that I dwell in and the continuity of time in which it proceeds.
The big (the universe) and the small (the micro-world) coexist in the present; hence they are all accepted in my work. Shape is a living record created by my hands, vision and perception, which maintains an organic relationship with various living environments. Just as a vine extends its branches and lays a solid groundwork to reach the next world, life is a fractal formed by two branches and their never-ending twisting.
Chaos theory, which has only recently produced visible results, is a universal premise that appears in the course of my work.
Items such as electromagnetic waves, artificial images, vibrations, lasers, simulations, ancient cultures, languages, microorganisms, relativity, sound, geographical characteristics, means of transportation, math and geometry, and systems provide motif for my work.
In order to exist as art, it appears to be necessary that art in the 21st century must encourage ceaseless exchanges with realms of poetry, philosophy and science and accept a new stream of the times.
My work is closely influenced by the location and environment.
Since it (my work*) is divided into transportable work and work that is possible when settled, work progress is carried out regardless of space and movement. At an extensive level, a plan for a global progress is being established.
Such characteristics enables an exchange with a broader spectrum of artists in a global era such as now, and I plan to achieve expansion in my work through contact with new cultures. Based on the observation of humanities, society, geography, environment and newly discovered spiritual nourishment from travelling around the world, I hope to work as if I were recording life on earth.
Additionally, Space projection with light is taken under consideration for future works.
I am interested in boxes -- both in the way. they contain things and the way they set things free. Freedom of open spaces for me it means the embrace of space as an area that is philosophically full and empty simultaneously.
In Antoine de Saint - Exupery’s The little Prince, a pilot tries to draw a sheep for the Little prince, who in turn rejects the first three attempts as he is not happy with the sheep’s appearance. Finally, the pilot draws a box, explaining that the sheep is inside. “That is exactly the way I wanted it!” said the Little Prince. “Do you think that this sheep will have a great deal of grass?” Then he stepped into the box world of the sheep, and through the windows in the box, he looked at the outside world.
Like the Little Prince, I too need a box that will contain a “sheep”. A box that will shelter my dreams and ideas.
I think of my art works as metaphoric boxes in which I keep a glimpse of realty as I see it. I am interested in the relationship between the enclosed space and the space beyond its boundaries. So my work is often comprised of antithetic elements that describe that relationship, such as geometry and the free gesture. My paintings set up a dialogue between rational straight lines and atmospheric areas of color with floating, gestural markings.

Spark of thought no3
2018, pen and water color on art paper, 22.8X30.3cm

Spark of thought no14
2018, pen and water color on art paper, 22.5X30.4cm

Spark of thought no5
2018, pen and water color on art paper, 22.8X30.3cm

Spark of thought no15
2018, pen and water color on art paper, 22.8X30.3cm

Spark of thought no4
2018, pen and water color on art paper, 22.7X30.3cm

그림, 꿈을 꾸다
2010, 300연작 no.80, 아트지 위에 잉크펜, 22X28cm

그림, 꿈을 꾸다
2010, 300연작 no.200, 아트지 위에 잉크펜, 22X28cm

삶의 놀이, 아트지 위에 잉크펜
2018, 아트지 위에 잉크펜, 32X56cm

Installation
POSCO
Artist Biography
Born in 1961, Republic of Korea
1989 Seoul National University, BFA in Fine Art
Online Exhibition
The Drawing Center Viewing Program/ New York
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2019 The universe inside me, Bambu gallery, Seoul
2018 Once you’ve crossed the river, throw away the raft!, Thisweekendroom, seoul
2014 ‘Aufstreben’, Heba gallery, Berlin
2013 ‘Nomade’, hagajae Museum, Seoul
2010 ‘Drawing to Dream’, Posco Art Museum, Seoul
2008 ‘Quand L’esprit Voyage’, Lumen Gallery, Paris
2008 ‘Journey of Spirit’, Gallery WA, Seoul
2008 ‘Exchange Exhibition- Korea-Japan’, Korean Cultural Center, Tokyo
2007 ‘Intodrawing’, Soma Museum of Arts, Seoul
2007 ‘Never Ending Drawing’, Farm-a Gallery, Tokyo
2007 ‘Life Cycle Series’, Gallery Indeco, Seoul
2004 Solo Exibition, Gamo Gallery, Seoul
Selected Group Exhibitions
2017 ‘Project ON #1-Sphere’, Korea Embassy in Germany_Korean Cultural Center, Gallery damdam, Berlin,
2016 ‘la dure’e’, Wumin Art center, Cheongju
2016 ‘Inside Drawing’ Ilwoo Space
2015 ‘Mindful Mindless’, Soma Museum, Seoul
2015 ‘Play with Drawing’, Ilwoo Space, Seoul
2014 ‘Exposition- Le Fort du Vert’, Wambrechies, FR
2010 ‘Beyond the labor’, Artforum Newgate, Seoul
2009 ‘Dissonant Visions’, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul
2009 ‘Line Line Color Line’, Gallery Touchart, Heyri
2008 ‘Art Life Project ’, Museum of Fine Arts, Euijeongbu
2007 Imfuse’, Gallery Velvet, Seoul
2007 ‘Art Villagers’, Gallery Young, Seoul
2003 ‘Uncanny’, Gallery LaMer, Seoul
1998 11 moderne Artists Exibition, Gallery Yale, Seoul
Grants
2017 Korean Artist Project, Selected Artists
2010, 2007 Support for artists Seoul Faoundation for Arts & Culture
2006 Soma Drawing Center , Selected Artists
Public Collections
AOMG
Seoul Olympic Museum of Art
MMCA Art Bank
Bambu Collection
Thisweekendroom
TCC STEEL.
Mirae N Co, Ltd.
MetLife, Inc.
JTN Media. Co, Ltd