Seulgi Kwon: Tender Moments Now On View
Seulgi Kwon, Puff, Brooch, 2015, silicone, pigment, thread, stone, 6.4 x 4.7 x 2.5 inch
Seulgi Kwon: Tender Moments
The Gallery at Reinstein|Ross is pleased to exhibit the work of award winning artist Seulgi Kwon. Titled “Tender Moments”, the exhibition will run from September 10th through October 4th, 2015. This will be the Korean artist’s first solo exhibition in the U.S.
Colorful, fluid, organic and supple, Kwon’s jewelry is inspired by the growth cycles of plants and flowers. Kwon uses these forms and themes to symbolize life experiences.
Using silicone, which the artist describes as a “flexible material that is soft, light, transparent, and moves freely”, Kwon creates complex forms that evoke the plant lifecycle from seed to full bloom. Kwon states, “Nature is the root of my subject matter and has provided me with infinite possibilities…. Some people see my artwork as like a cell, an organ from the human body, a marine creature, or a flower. I like the fact that the common thread in these interpretations is the imagery of a fluid, dynamic form…. a living thing.”
Kwon’s floral jewelry isn’t meant to be purely pretty. Kwon says “Every bend, curve and swell of the silicone has a deep and close relationship with my life experiences.” Kwon’s jewelry consists of brooches and necklaces, object that are worn close to the heart and therefore, in her opinion, the most precious and personal.
Seulgi Kwon, The Dream In A Dream, Brooch, 2015, silicone, pigment, thread, plastic bead, 5.5 x 5.1 x 2.1 inch
The exhibition will feature approximately 25 pieces of jewelry as well as the artist’s drawings, which are central to her process. Kwon begins each new piece of jewelry by sketching it then making a 3-dimensional structure. She molds the silicone and adds pigment, as well as beads, fabric, paper, thread, and other materials to make each piece unique and alive, akin to the plant or flower that inspired it.
The title of the exhibition, “Tender Moments” is derived from the importance of memory and life’s “moments”, and the root of the word tender. Kwon says that the word tender “…has evolved from the latin “tenet” meaning thin, delicate, fresh and young. These words are perfect descriptors of the shape, form, texture and appearance of my jewelry”
Kwon earned both her Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts in Metalwork and Jewelry at Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea. Her work has been exhibited extensively in Australia, Europe, and Asia. She has received numerous awards, including the BKV Prize, Munich, Germany; Cominelli Foundation Award, Fondazione Cominelli, Italy; Excellent Achievement of MFA, Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea; International Craft Exhibition ITAMI Prize, Hyogo, Japan; Talente Award, Kunstoff Prize, Munich, Germany; Graduate Metal XI, Adelaide, Australia. Most recently Kwon was the recipient of the Art Jewelry Forum’s prestigious Artist Award.
The Gallery at Reinstein|Ross, 30 Gansevoort Street, NYC, 10014
Gallery Hours: Monday- Saturday, 11-6:30 and Sunday, 12-6.
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