Suki Seokyeong Kang, known for her contemporary reinterpretations of Korean tradition within socio-cultural contexts, is the subject of the solo exhibition Suki Seokyeong Kang: Willow Drum Oriole at Leeum Museum of Art, Korea. Featuring a diverse array of works, including two-dimensional pieces, sculptures, and a video, Suki Seokyeong Kang: Willow Drum Oriole unfurls a landscape that integrates each unique individual with the ever-changing nature, collectively weaving a narrative of togetherness and evoking the relationship between individuals and society.

The exhibition presents approximately 130 works, ranging from Kang’s earlier series to new works. Among them is the Jeong series, which draws its inspiration from the traditional Korean musical notation system known as Jeongganbo. This system, originally used to record the pitch and duration of musical notes, has been reimagined as abstract conceptual structures that propose a certain operational mode of time and narrative. Also featured are works from the Mat series, drawing inspiration from hwamunseok, a mat used to demarcate the dance floor area of the Chunaeng-mu, a one-person court dance from the Joseon Dynasty.

The exhibition includes Kang's more recent Hours series, created by stretching, dyeing, and knotting silk around a circular frame to evoke the cycles of time, a central theme in Kang's work. Also screened in the lobby of the museum is a video work titled Willow Drum Oriole, featuring images of Kang’s works that emerge from a long rectangle of black screen, providing viewers with a multi-sensory experience.

In December, Zoe Whitley, Director of Chisenhale Gallery, and June Young Kwak, Head of Exhibitions at the Leeum Museum of Art, will engage in an interview-style conversation with the artist. Suki Seokyeong Kang: Willow Drum Oriole runs through December 31, 2023.