Kibong Rhee, Where You Stand D-1, Arcylic and polyseter fiber on canvas, 186 x 186 cm, 2022

Photo Cheonho Ahn, Courtesy of the artist and Kukje Gallery.

Kukje gallery presents Kibong Rhee's solo exhibition Where You Stand from November 17 to December 31 at the Kukje Gallery Seoul space (K1, K2) and Busan space. Working across painting and installation, Rhee continues his long interest in experimentation with and mastery of the fundamental structures and dynamics of the natural world. The theme of "impermanence" that emerges from this cyclical model is an inevitable physical phenomenon as well as one that elicits a sense of beauty, desire, and nostalgia. Rhee's dreamlike landscapes works exist as lyrical scenes that transcend time, coming in an uncanny way between unconsciousness and reality and fantasy.

The gallery's Seoul space focuses on iconic works that depict dreamlike landscapes; a theme Rhee has worked on continuously for more than two decades. Using blurred lines and shadowy textures to create scenes that appear obscured by fog, Rhee's trees hover between a romantic mise-en-scène and something more mysterious. In addition to his landscapes, the artist will showcase a new group of paintings based on his longstanding interest in philosophy, using layers of silkscreened quotes from Ludwig Wittgenstein’s texts. In this exhibition, presented are around fifty new works of Rhee’s "vanitas," reflecting on the impermanence and certainty of life.