Kang, Shin duk : The Ocean: A Monologue of Nature, The Nature of Reality itself

 

The Ocean: A Monologue of Nature, The Nature of Reality itself

To many, the simple joy in life can be as simple as discovering a truly original beauty, more so for an art aficionado. This is the same feeling when I first saw Shinduk Kang’s Ocean. The works have a sense of serenity and sincerity; pure yet timeless, they draw me closer to the nature, to an unending ocean. The artist’s profound love for nature create an ocean of her own that seem to be free from human intervention and closer to the nature of reality itself.

The title Ocean also asks the viewers to examine the subjects. The forms can seem as a fish, a leaf or a newly discovered species of plant or even a mixture of both for multiplication. This natural colorful form in her silkscreen series reminds me of German born French artist-poet-performer; Jean (Hans) Arp (1887-1966)’s elegantly composed collage. The work is playful, almost syncopated composition in which spontaneous form in variations seem to dance within the space.  Kang has such natural ability to make interesting or valuable discoveries by producing works of such deceptively simple and unassuming, almost instinctively from her thought.

On the opposite, Kang’s Ocean sculptures are monochrome in stainless steel. Apparently, the choice may be intentional. The materialistic nature of stainless steel works magically, adding a new dimension of a shimmering light; and at the same time, creates an illusion of space. It allows the form to dissolve into the back drop, evoke a sense of nature’s mystery and organic growth. From her Accumulation series in stone, Kang continues to adhere to her basic formative concept without distraction in the slightest. Her lifelong belief in truth to materials, this time, she takes stainless steel and succeed in transforming the inorganic into organic.

In Kang’s own words “I try to convey natural movements of colorful marine life deep and endless ocean. I mixed distinct organic features and plants in ocean together and adapted those soft shapes to my works. Stainless steel continuously changes the flow and tone of the space through its materialistic nature and because of the illumination, the sculpture looks expanded and more like shapeless”

Needless to say, I could effortlessly see Kang’s Ocean to her past works, Secret,

 Haven and Earth and Secret Garden.  Her works express a strong sense of nature; unpretentious, distinctive and intimate. I can see a falling leaf, recall a sweet memory; or even imagine a dolphin passing by. It is such a pleasure for one to look at Kang‘s works as she continues her journey into a wonderland of discovery.

KANG SHIN DUK has over the past decades, become established as a leading artist on international scene. Her sculptural works are instantly arresting for their sheer beauty, and compel focused attention for the ways in which they explore such essential concepts as time, space, culture and perception- even the nature of reality itself.