March Group Exhibition

KWON SOONHAKWON SEOYEOUNG

LEILA HAGHIGHIMELANIE RUSSELL

KWON SOONHAK

A blank wall, an empty space – ar tist Kwon Soon-Hak approaches his work as a projection of his own experiences. The V&A Museum and Lisson Gallery, blank walls in an interior setting, and various gallery walls where Kwon has exhibited, are not entirely seen as they are intended. He believes that seeing the wall would only become possible if we can purely observe, not as recognizable items, but seen as an infant would from their point of view. Kwon also examines the history of space. From far away, the walls appear white and blank. However, from close up Kwon’s works consider the realities of the wall – from variations in whiteness, their linearity, crackled and uncanny exteriors. The ar tist’s reoccurrences with the Isakower Phenomena remains a vivid memory from his infancy, in which he recalls a manner of truly seeing. Kwon’s photographic works speak out – to the confusions of limitations, both inside and outside, background and observation of the objects – the deteriorating of the sense of self. Some reference this phenomenon as the state one reaches right before they are on the verge of falling asleep; where an individual’s experiences become the body before its symbolization.

Histor y of Union Galler y IIGiclée Pr int on Aluminium panel | 90X64cm | 2011

“The inability to identify the objects that arose from the phenomenon means that I could not understand the sense of paradox. In other words, the real (i.e. Paradise) is the state observing the world as a new object. Seeing the wall as an object is only possible if we could see the world through the eyes of a child, in other words, if we truly speculate in the belief of paradox, which means seeing through unprejudiced eyes.” – Kwon Soon-Hak Kwon Soon-Hak was born in 1979 in South Korea. He graduated with a MA in Photography from Royal College of Ar t (2010), received his MFA from the Depar tment of Photography from HongIk University, and BFA in Painting from the College of Fine Ar ts, University of Incheon. He has had four solo exhibitions and par ticipated in various group exhibitions. Kwon lives and works in London.

01 | 02

Histor y of Victor ia & Alber t Museum II | Giclee Pr int on Aluminium panel | 95X145cm | 2010

Histor y of Union Galler y IIGiclée Pr int on Aluminium panel | 90X64cm | 2011

Histor y of Hyundai Galler y | giclée pr ints on aluminium panels, 4 par t | 180X390cm | 2012

Histor y of Mok Space II | giclee pr int on aluminium panel | 112X36cm | 2012

03 | 04

WON SEOYEOUNG

The ar tist’s work was initially developed as an understanding between painting and photography. His work utilizes everyday ordinary objects such as chairs, tables, candles and wheels. The visualization of space por trayed in the paintings, together with the installation of the objects fashioned with wires, provides a visual expression of his subjective view. This subjective view remains dependent on the way in which one perceives the installation, painting and photography. Viewed as one or represented by their differences, the perception of objects and space can be seen as separate modes of media or as one. Won’s consideration of illusion explores the meaning of these objects with sensitivity to visual space. Won Seo-Yeoung was born in South Korea and currently lives and works in London. He received his MFA in Fine Ar t Media from Slade School of Fine Ar t (2011), BFA in Photography in Visual Ar t from Sangmyung University in Korea (2007), and BFA in Photography from Seoul Institute of the Ar ts (2005). He has been in numerous London exhibitions including The Traces (2011) Hanmi Gallery, From the Corner Window (2011) St. Mar tin-in-the-Fields, The Slade Shows (2011), 4482 SASAPARI (2011) Barge House and Recollection (2010) Por tsea Gallery.

Right : Chair | c-pr int | 160X130cm | edition 5 | 2010

Left : Wheel | c-pr int | 160X130cm | edition 5 | 2010

05 | 06

Stair s | c-pr int | 160X130cm | edition 5 | 2011

07 | 08

Table | c-pr int | 160X130cm | edition 5 | 2010

Untitled

| oil o

n canvas | 80X60cm

| 2011

LEILA HAGHIGHI

The ar tist’s work extracts upon the paintings from ar tists John Currin, a painter with significant interest for the rich tradition of European paintings. These works later became the star ting point for a collection of paintings influenced by works of other ar tists, such as John Singer Sargent and Sir Anthony Van Dyck. Haghighi’s most recent paintings transpired as a concept of revival, her subjects are remodeled and styled to represent a contemporary individual standing out against an illustrative background together with 2D objects. The amalgamation between the contemporary subjects contrasted by the setting and two-dimensional entities reference the original paintings they were drawn upon. The revitalization of her paintings suggests the idea of renaissance, when everything has been done before, styles are repeated but with new variations and developments.

Leila Haghighi was born in 1977 in Plymouth, England. She graduated from University of the Ar ts London, Wimbledon (2010), with a MA in Fine Ar t / Painting. Prior to this, she received a BA in Fine Ar t from University College Falmouth (2009). She has exhibited her works at the Ruth Borchard Self-Por trait Exhibition (2011), Showcase London (2011), among several other places. She currently lives and works in London.

09 | 10

‘London’ (ser ies of small paintings) | acr ylic on board | 21X28cm (each) | 2010

Untitled

| oil o

n canvas | 135X79cm

| 2012

Liushan | oil on canvas | 60X45cm | 2010Monica | oil on canvas | 60X45cm | 2010

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MELANIE RUSSELL

The ar tist’s work as seen through her paintings, drawings, collages and 3D cardboard construction works reflects her development and interest in visual perception. The juxtaposition between the foreground and background cultivate an ambiguous relationship, often creating several levels of flatness. Painting and drawing with shapes, vibrant colours, often drawn straightforward and minimalistic – the subject matter is often shor t of recognizable. Her play with negative and positive spaces, representation and abstraction, communicates subjects that are both simple and complex. The subject matter, often everyday objects, is shaped by the ar tist in a way which calls the viewer to re-examine the ordinary and familiar.

Melanie Russell was born in 1977 in Gloucestershire, England. She received a MFA from Slade School of Fine Ar t (2004). She is currently based in London, and has received numerous awards and prizes including Open Painting Competition (2011) and Jerwood Contemporary Painters (2007). She was recently Ar tist in Residence in the project space at Construction Gallery, a three-month pop-up creative hub in Tooting.

This catalogue is published by HADA Contemporary to accompany the exhibition

KWON SOONHAKWON SEOYEOUNGLEILA HAGHIGHIMELANIE RUSSELL

2 - 24 MARCH 2012

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise, without prior written permission from HADA Contemporary Ltd.

Tall Tr if le | oil on board | 22.5X30cm | 2011Branksome Road | oil & pencil on board | 30X45cm | 2006Two Slots | oil on board | 30X30cm | 2011

March Group Exhibition

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