Artists Represented -- Sang Won Sung

Artist Statement

may contain SMALL parts

Sang’s works are somewhat popular and even kitsch, and it is woven out of almost intuitive sense of humor. In fact, humor is the most important ingredient in his pieces, where he seems to seek for playful pleasure capable of stimulating himself in his daily life.

Objects easily at hand in everyday life, especially plastic dolls, are his prime material. Different objects, strange to each other, are recombined and reorganized under the principle of casual interaction, which produces in turn a strange strain. As a result, his pieces are at one time familiar and weird, casual and strained. Is precisely this tension that opens a “new dimension,” breaking the boundaries of preconceived perspective.

“Plastic containers, parts of toys, doll’s arms and legs, screws… all sorts of things surrounding us in our modern daily life are what I need to make my figures. This stuff, ordinary and with nothing special, are my favorites because they belong to my intimate environment. Plastic is my chosen material because it gives a modern flavor and a profusion of colors that no other material seems to offer. So, it relates better with the “pop dolls” that I seek to materialize.”

“I’d like to distinguish my work from what is commonly taken as art under the sign of recycling. The objects that effectively take part in my pieces have undergone a lot of reflection and trials in different combinations. Different objects with their diversity of forms are gathered in a new kind of rendezvous bringing about a new thing, although, basically and at first sight, it is easy to say which objects are there.”

- Sang Won Sung

For further information, please contact:

Canada: tel: (1) 604.688.2633, fax: (1) 604.688.2685

Exhibitions and Awards
2016	"The Winter Show", Art Beatus Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2013	"Winterlude", Art Beatus Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2011	Solo Exhibition, Now Contemporary Art Gallery, Miami, USA
	"Junk Art", Jeju Museum, Jeju, Korea
	"Objects of Everyday Life", Pohang Museum of Steel Art, Korea
2010	Solo Exhibition, Galeria nuVEM, São Paulo, Brazil
2009	"100 Years of Korean Cartoon", National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea
	"Mini em Marte", Uruguay
2008	"The World of Expression", Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
	Solo Exhibition, "Insects", Sangsang Madang, Seoul, Korea
	ARCO International Art Contemporary Fair, Madrid, Spain
	Solo Exhibition, Galeria Thomas Cohn, São Paulo, Brazil
2007	Solo Exhibition, "may contain SMALL parts", Art Beatus Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
	Arteamericas, Miami, USA
	SP Arte, Pavilhão da Bienal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
	ArteBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
	Mezanino Galeria Thomas Cohn, Galeria Thomas Cohn, São Paulo, Brazil
2006	Arteamericas, Miami, USA
	SP Arte, Pavilhão da Bienal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
	ArteBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
	Mezanino Galeria Thomas Cohn, Galeria Thomas Cohn, São Paulo, Brazil
	"Alice in Wonderland", Junju Art Center, Korea
2005	Arteamericas, Miami, USA
	SP Arte, Pavilhão da Bienal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
	ArteBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
	Coletiva de artistas Galeria Thomas Cohn, Galeria Thomas Cohn, São Paulo, Brazil
2004	Arte Lisbon 2004 – International Fair of Contemporary Art, Lisbon, Portugal
	Individual Galeria Thomas Cohn, São Paulo, Brazil
2003	The 2nd Young Overseas Artists Exhibition, Seoul Arts Center, Korea
	Award from Cannes Festival – Silver Lion Award for "Vegetable with Toothpicks", Cannes, France
2002	“Cotidiano”, Brazilian House Museum, São Paulo, Brazil
	Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju, Seoul, Korea
1999	Awards from Cannes Festival, 1 Gold Lion and 2 Silver Lion Awards for the sculptures, "Food Wood", Cannes, France
	Award Editora Abril, Brazil
	“Rastros, Restos e Trajetos” – Secretaria Municipal de Cultura, São Paulo, Brazil
1992	Museu de Arte de Seul, Seoul, Korea
1991	Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
1990	“Formas de Vida” – Galeria 3, Seoul, Korea
	"New Talent" Award
Artist Statement may contain SMALL parts Sang’s works are somewhat popular and even kitsch, and it is woven out of almost intuitive sense of humor. In fact, humor is the most important ingredient in his pieces, where he seems to seek for playful pleasure capable of stimulating himself in his daily life. Objects easily at hand in everyday life, especially plastic dolls, are his prime material. Different objects, strange to each other, are recombined and reorganized under the principle of casual interaction, which produces in turn a strange strain. As a result, his pieces are at one time familiar and weird, casual and strained. Is precisely this tension that opens a “new dimension,” breaking the boundaries of preconceived perspective. “Plastic containers, parts of toys, doll’s arms and legs, screws… all sorts of things surrounding us in our modern daily life are what I need to make my figures. This stuff, ordinary and with nothing special, are my favorites because they belong to my intimate environment. Plastic is my chosen material because it gives a modern flavor and a profusion of colors that no other material seems to offer. So, it relates better with the “pop dolls” that I seek to materialize.” “I’d like to distinguish my work from what is commonly taken as art under the sign of recycling. The objects that effectively take part in my pieces have undergone a lot of reflection and trials in different combinations. Different objects with their diversity of forms are gathered in a new kind of rendezvous bringing about a new thing, although, basically and at first sight, it is easy to say which objects are there.” - Sang Won Sung For further information, please contact: Canada: tel: (1) 604.688.2633, fax: (1) 604.688.2685