JEONG ZikSeong

Under the pseudonym of Jeoung Zik Seong, I presented about 14 solo shows and 100 group exhibitions during last ten years. My interest is basically based on Korea’s urban spaces.
In the early stage of my work, I participated in an artist group Flying City where I practiced how to activate urban psychology through the art. Based on the specific, live, and sensory experiences in the urban spaces, I’ve shown paintings that articulate visual interpretation of Seoul’s landscapes. They can be regarded as ‘conceptual painting’ and was in the context that doesn’t allow escape from the real life.

Firstly, I walk to experience and understand the city throughly. By moving my body and using senses, I concentrate on accident yet inevitable situations I meet on the streets. In my early work, I attempted to represent in-between spaces in urbanization or the other side of development: I wanted to make a structure of it. Meanwhile this process seem to follow the rule of composition as seen in art history. But my intention was to escape from universality, ephemerality, stability that images in canvas have. The un-disappearing and never running out of power and order in this mass production society is the main interest of my work. In that, moving my body is a core method to represent more than ‘I see’ clinging to the reality of life and an access to the ‘abstraction in context’.

Such an approach to the painting will be an suggestion for a new and flexible way to break a dichotomy between the People’s Art (minjoong misool) in the 1980s and formalism in art. My early work focused on the abstract aspect to produce a certain structure in canvas combining the un-structured elements. Preparing for the solo exhibition at Kim Jin hye gallery in 2008, I brought the concept of ‘machine’ to get more abstract forms. The machines are not a fixed structure and turbulate the static and stable structure. The movement of machines are unpredictable and temporary so that it reveals multi-layered aspects of reality cutting through the diverse elements with the power of transformation. After the show Machines, my work has become more abstract. In 2012, I took an experiment with colors, lines and forms for the show at Kim Jong Young museum, honored to be an artist of the year of the museum.

As described above, my work is connected to the formalism in art history, at the same time located in a unique position bringing urban characteristics of Korea. While pursueing site-specificity and political/ethical rightness not in the way of figurative realism, I try to expand the layers of senses and visualize them by mean of play. Through my work, I would like to suggest a healthy and tolerant aesthetics in painting which never to be defeated by rapid economic development and capitalization.

JEONG ZikSeong
Born in 1976, Seoul, Korea

EDUCATION
2012    completed course for D.F.A, Seoul National University
2005    M.F.A, Seoul National University
2000    B.F.A, Seoul National University

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION
2014    Constructive Abstract, Gallery BK, Seoul, Korea
2013    Jeong Zik Seong, Mimesis Art Museum, Gyeonggido, Korea
            Debris- Etro Arts Prize;The Grand Prize Winner’s Exhibition,
            Baekwoon Gallery, Seoul, Korea
            Under Limited Conditions, Eugean Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2012    Jeong Zik Seong, Gallery Hyundai Window, Seoul, Korea
            Chusang Jakdong(A pun meaning both “abstract operation”
            and “creasing and tasting reality”), Young Eun Museum,
            Gyeonggido, Korea
            Artist of Today 2012-Jeong Zik Seong, Kim Chong Yung Museum,
            Seoul, Korea
2011    Liquid Machinery, Moin Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2010    Cross and Pause, Johyun Gallery, Seoul, Korea
            Operation, Art Factory Gallery, Gyeonggido, Korea
2009    Jeong Zik Seong, Johyun Gallery, Pusan, Korea
            , , space Da, Seoul, Korea
2008    Megamachine, Kim Jinhye Gallery, Seoul, Korea/Supported by
            Arts Council Korea
2007    Hidden Corner, Space A-Chim, Seoul, Korea/Supported by
            Design Group A-Chim
2006    Amorphous Construction, Shinhan Gallery, Seoul, Korea/
            Supported by Shinhan Bank, Arts Council Korea

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
2014    Artroad 77, Art Factory Gallery, Gyeonggido, Korea
            Time and Emotion, Haeden Museum, Gyeonggido, Korea
            Common Center Opening Exhibitions: Today’s Salon,
            Common Center, Seoul, Korea
            Artist, Portrait of the Aesthetic Soul, Kim Bo Sung Art Center,
            Seoul, Korea
            Waiting for Apricot Flower Blossoms: Jeong Zik Seong, Jo Jong Seong,
            Eugean Gallery, Seoul, Korea
            Space:Life & Routine, Choi Jung Ah Gallery, Seoul, Korea