Hyon Gyon at Parasol Unit

Korean artist Hyon Gyon explores themes of sociocultural identity, grief, anger and sexual politics through paintings and sculptural installations
originating from the combination of traditional Korean textiles, Japanese paper and paint and various less conventional materials. Inspired by Korean shamanism, and her own feelings, Hyon Gyon’s experience of its rituals allows her to tap into the depths of her own subconscious, to purge her feelings of sorrow and rage by transforming them into creative energy in the hope of freeing herself of suppressed anguish. In her first solo show in Europe she presents recent paintings and sculptures which she has made specifically for this solo exhibition at Parasol unit. A number of these works were made using sgraffito, a technique of scratching through a top surface of lime mortar to reveal lower layers of contrasting painted colours. Such works are created by subtraction rather than addition.