South Korea
B.1974GWON Osang (b.1974) is a sculptor who has constantly questioned the identity of the sculpture and tried to converge new experimental media into the new form structure. His varied approach for exploring the existence of sculptures is composed of five series, Deodorant Type, The Sculpture, The Flat, New Structure, and Relief. The “Deodorant type" was shaped in ‘ISO-pink(hardened Styrofoam)’ to break the notion that sculpture must be heavy, and the outer edges were covered with hundreds of photographs directly taken or collected for supporting light sculptures and expanded the sculpture while presenting new materials.
"The Sculpture" is a series that unravels the meaning of traditional sculptures that try to realize the ideal of the time in the closest proximity to reality. Considering the definition of sculpture by using bronze, a traditional material of sculpture, to bring the high-value consumers, the ideal of the 21st century such as Lamborghini and Bugatti, close to the actual shape but makes the surface treatment which has not been refined, unlike the traditional method. "New Structure" is a series of works that have been expanded to three dimensions by adding Alexander Calder's Stabile concept to the "Plat" series. The series, which mainly occupies space with aluminum structures, adds to the characteristics of existing image acquisition and placement, and artist who travels between 2D and 3D, the question of "the relationship between sculpture and space". The latest series, "Relief," is a new method of traditional carving, by building the two-dimensional plane in three dimensions, after realizing the exclusive image collection and arrangement
on a flat, original version.
GWON Osang held a solo & collaborative exhibition at Suwon Art Space (Suwon, Korea) in 2022, TYPE (Seoul, Korea) in 2021, Arario Gallery Shanghai and Seoul in 2016. Other solo exhibitions were held worldwide, such as Hermes (Sydney, Australia) in 2016, Okinawa contemporary Art Center (Okinawa, Japan) in 2015, HADA contemporary (London, UK) in 2013, and Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester, UK) in 2008. Participating in the group exhibitions were held at The Shophouse (Hong Kong) in 2022, the Seoul National University Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea) in 2021, Daerim Museum (Seoul, Korea) and Pohang Museum of Steel Art (Pohang, Korea) in 2020, Lotte Museum (Seoul, Korea) in 2019, Arario Gallery Seoul (Seoul, Korea) in 2018, National Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul, Korea) in 2015, Singapore Museum
of Contemporary Art (Singapore) in 2014, Saatchi Gallery (London, UK) in 2010, Burger Collection in 2009 (Berlin, Germany), Bologna Museum of Contemporary Art (Bologna, Italy) in 2004, and FOAM (Amsterdam, Netherlands) in 2003. He also participated, in 2014, Busan Biennale (Busan, Korea) and Asian Art Triennial (Manchester, UK) in 2008.
Besides, GWON has worked collaborations with a variety of brands, including Riot Games, Jaguar, BMW and Hermes, to present contemporary art closer to the public.
Courtesy of ARARIO Gallery
Education
2000 BFA Dept. of Sculpture, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
2004 MFA Dept. of Sculpture, Hongik University, Seoul,
Korea
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2024 The Sculptural Report, ARARIO MUSEUM TAPDONG
CINEMA, Jeju, Korea
2023 Seoul's Glittering, B the B Communication Lounge,
DDP, Seoul, Korea
AIR MASS : a path of wind, Lotte Gallery, AVENUEL
ART HALL, Seoul, Korea
2022 The Other Self, Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
Still Life, EVERYDAY MOOONDAY Gallery, Seoul, Korea
OUR SET: OURLABOUR X GWON OSANG, Art SpaceGwanggyo, Suwon Museum of Art, Suwon, Korea
2021 Sequence, TYPE, Seoul, Korea
2016 Relief Relief, Willing N Dealing, Seoul, Korea
The Sculpture, ARARIO GALLERY SHANGHAI,
Shanghai, China
The Art of the Image New Sculpture, Hermes, Sydney,
Australia
Recontemporary, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA
New Structure and Relief, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL,
Seoul, Korea
2015 The Pivots, ARARIO MUSEUM TAPDONG CINEMA, Jeju,
Korea
New Structure, Okinawa Contemporary Art Center,
Okinawa, Japan
New Structure, Baik Art, Los Angeles, USA
2014 Structure, Perigee Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Osang Gwon, JOYCE PARIS, Paris, France
Osang Gwon: The Deodorant Type, Statoil Art
Programme, Statoil, Bærum, Norway
2013 Osang Gwon, Temenggong Artists-In-Residence,
Singapore, Singapore
Postmodern Times, HADA Contemporary, London, UK
Masspatterns, 13 S/S Collaboration Exhibitions #03,
MANMADE WOOYOUNGMI, Seoul, Korea
2012 Osang Gwon, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
2011 Adore, Aando Fine Arts, Berlin, Germany
Sculpture, Doosan Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2010 Torso, Gallery 2, Seoul, Korea
Deodorant Type, Doosan Gallery, New York, USA
2009 Deodorant Type, ARARIO GALLERY NEW YORK, New
York, USA
2008 Deodorant Type: Sculpture by Osang Gwon,
Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
2007 Osang Gwon, ARARIO GALLERY BEIJING, Beijing, China
2006 Gwon, Osang, Union II, London, UK
The Sculpture, ARARIO GALLERY CHEONAN, Cheonan,
Korea
2005 Deodorant Type & The Flat, Andrew Shire Gallery & 4-F
Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2001 Deodorant Type, Insa Art Space, The Korea Culture &
Arts Foundation, Seoul, Korea
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Carving in, Modeling out, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL,
Seoul, Korea
UNBOXING PROJECT 3: Maquette, New Spring Project,
Seoul, Korea
2023 Ordinary People, Splendid History, Gyeongnam Art
Museum, Changwon, Korea
Borderless, Ananti Culture Club, Busan, Korea
Romantic Irony, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
2022 Metal Fluid, Park Tae Joon Memorial Hall, Busan, Korea
Kim Bokjin and Korean Modern and Contemporary
Sculptors, Cheongju Museum of Art, Cheongju, Korea
Art & Industry, Ulsan Art Museum, Ulsan, Korea
Hallyu! The Korean Wave, V&A South Kensington,
London, UK
HiKR Art Museum Inaugural Exibition, HiKR Ground,
Seoul, Korea
Kak, Hite Collection, Seoul, Korea
Children’s Day 100th Anniversary Special Exhibition,Hello Museum, Seoul, Korea
Another Asian Artist, THE SHOPHOUSE, Tai Hang,Hong Kong
The Glitter Path, Art Space Hohwa, Seoul, Korea
New Acquisitions, Pohang Museum of Steel Art,Pohang, Korea
2021 Art Token: KARTZ Art Shapes the Future, Nodeul Island,
Seoul, Korea
Arcane, Scene, Seoul, Korea
The Premiere, Cheongdam A Lounge, Seoul, Korea
Texture House, P.ARK, Busan, Korea
The Chronical of Lost Time, Seoul National University
Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2020 YES/NO/LIKE/DISLIKE/LOVE/HATE/REPLY/SHARE, Art
Delight, Seoul, Korea
The Guide to the Earth Life, Koo House Museum,
Gyeonggi-do, Korea
NO SAPCE JUST A PLACE : ETEROTOPIA, Daelim
Museum, Seoul, Korea
Remix, Pohang Museum of Steel Art, Pohang, Korea
2019 Furniture, ARARIO MUSEUM in Space, Seoul, Korea
To the Moon with Snoopy, Lotte Museum, Seoul, Korea
MOKA Triangle, Hyundai Museum of Kid’s Books & Art,
Pangyo, Korea
The Third Image, Kim Chong Yung Museum, Seoul,
Korea
2018 Endless Column, ARARIO GALLERY Ryse Hotel, Seoul,
Korea
Post 88’, Seoul Olympic Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2015 Tech 4 Change, Vestfossen Kunstlaboratoriumn,
Vestfossen, Norway
Uproarious, Heated, Inundated, National Museum of
Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
2014 Pillars, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
Tomorrow 2014 Part 2: Culture Print, DDP, Seoul, Korea
Medium at Large, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
K –Pop: Korean Contemporary Art, Taipei Museum of
Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
2011 ARTISTS with ARARIO Part 1, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL,
Seoul, Korea
The Korean Miracle: A Cultural Evolution, Asia House,
London, UK
Embracing the void, HADA Contemporary, London, UK
2010 Memories of Future, Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul,
Korea
Korean Eye: Fantastic Ordinary, Saatchi Gallery,
London; The Arts House, Singapore, Singapore; The
Seoul Museum of Art, Gyeonghuigung,
Seoul; The Korea Foundation Cultural Centre, Seoul
Roundabout°Conversations in art from around the
globe, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, NZ
Man Ray’s Photography & His Heritage, Seoul Museum
of Art, Seoul
New York Photo Festival 2010, Smack Mellon, New
York, USA
A POSITIVE VIEW, Somerset House, London, UK
ARTISTS with ARARIO, ARARIO GALLERY
SEOUL/CHEONAN, Seoul/Cheonan, Korea
2009 Manipulating Reality, The Center for Contemporary
Culture Strozzina, Florence, France
2008 Youth Portraits, Avanthay Contemporary, Zurich,
Switzerland
Peppermint Candy: Contemporary Art from Korea,
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
Collaborations
2022 Physical Performance <Play for a while>_Motivated by
“The Cloud Dream of the Nine”, Seoul Arts Center,
Seoul, Korea
The Prequel by Mint:ist’Club, Platform-L, Seoul, Korea2021 Riot Games, Seoul, Korea
2020 Hermès Window Display 2020: New Structure of
Sculpture - A Trip to Another Joyful Place, Hermès,
Shinsegae Department Store Daegu
2019 Art Bookshop, Museum of Modern and Contemporary
Art, Seoul, Korea
2018 BMW, Seoul, Korea
2013 Masspatterns, 13 S/S Collaboration Exhibition #03,
MANMADE WOOYOUNGMI, Seoul, Korea
2011 Fashion into Art, Vogue Korea, PLATEAU, Seoul, Korea
2009 W Korea, Seoul, Korea
Hoodie on Moment, Nike Sportswear, Gallery Hyundai
Gangnam Space, Seoul, Korea
2008 Harper’s Bazaar, Boon the Shop, Seoul, Korea
Perfect Symmetry, Keane, Island Records
NIKE SU08 DUNK “Be True”, Seoul, Korea
2006 Fendi, Gallery IHN, Seoul, Korea
2002 OPAQUE, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
Awards
2012 Kim Se Choong Sculpture Prize
2001 Photograph Critique Awards
Residencies
2013 Temenggong Artists-In-Residence, Singapore
2010 DOOSAN Residency, New York, Korea
2005 National Art Studio Changdong, Seoul, Korea
2003 Youngeun Artist-in-Residence, Gwangju, Korea
Selected Collections
Victoria and Albert Museum, UK
Zabludowicz Collection, UK
Universal Music Group, USA
Burger Collection, Germany
David Roberts Art Foundation, UK
Roundabout Collection, USA
Hermes Collection, Australia
Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
Leeum, Sanmsung Museum of Art, Korea
Seoul Museum of Art, Korea
Busan Museum of Art, Korea
Pohang Museum of Art, Korea
Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Korea
Daegu Art Museum, Korea
Suwon Museum of Art, Korea
Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
Art Sonje Center, Korea
Asano Institute, Japan
Embassy of Switzerland, Korea
Samsung Fine Chemical, Korea
Hana Bank, Korea
Lotte Museum, Korea
YG Entertainment, Korea
ARARIO MUSEUM, Korea
Doosan Collection, Korea
Statoil ASA, Norway
Ole Faarup Collection, Denmark
RC Nursery Private Limited, India
Education
2000 BFA Dept. of Sculpture, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
2004 MFA Dept. of Sculpture, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2024 The Sculptural Report, ARARIO MUSEUM TAPDONG CINEMA, Jeju, Korea
2023 Seoul's Glittering, B the B Communication Lounge, DDP, Seoul, Korea
AIR MASS : a path of wind, Lotte Gallery, AVENUEL ART HALL, Seoul, Korea
2022 The Other Self, Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
Still Life, EVERYDAY MOOONDAY Gallery, Seoul, Korea
OUR SET: OURLABOUR X GWON OSANG, Art Space Gwanggyo, Suwon Museum of Art, Suwon, Korea2021 Sequence, TYPE, Seoul, Korea
2016 Relief Relief, Willing N Dealing, Seoul, Korea
The Sculpture, ARARIO GALLERY SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China
The Art of the Image New Sculpture, Hermes, Sydney, Australia
Recontemporary, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA
New Structure and Relief, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
2015 The Pivots, ARARIO MUSEUM TAPDONG CINEMA, Jeju, Korea
New Structure, Okinawa Contemporary Art Center, Okinawa, Japan
New Structure, Baik Art, Los Angeles, USA
2014 Structure, Perigee Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Osang Gwon, JOYCE PARIS, Paris, France
Osang Gwon: The Deodorant Type, Statoil Art Programme, Statoil, Bærum, Norway
2013 Osang Gwon, Temenggong Artists-In-Residence, Singapore, Singapore
Postmodern Times, HADA Contemporary, London, UK
Masspatterns, 13 S/S Collaboration Exhibitions #03, MANMADE WOOYOUNGMI, Seoul, Korea
2012 Osang Gwon, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
2011 Adore, Aando Fine Arts, Berlin, Germany
Sculpture, Doosan Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2010 Torso, Gallery 2, Seoul, Korea
Deodorant Type, Doosan Gallery, New York, USA
2009 Deodorant Type, ARARIO GALLERY NEW YORK, New York, USA
2008 Deodorant Type: Sculpture by Osang Gwon, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
2007 Osang Gwon, ARARIO GALLERY BEIJING, Beijing, China
2006 Gwon, Osang, Union II, London, UK
The Sculpture, ARARIO GALLERY CHEONAN, Cheonan, Korea
2005 Deodorant Type & The Flat, Andrew Shire Gallery & 4-F Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2001 Deodorant Type, Insa Art Space, The Korea Culture & Arts Foundation, Seoul, Korea
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Carving in, Modeling out, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
UNBOXING PROJECT 3: Maquette, New Spring Project, Seoul, Korea
2023 Ordinary People, Splendid History, Gyeongnam Art Museum, Changwon, Korea
Borderless, Ananti Culture Club, Busan, Korea
Romantic Irony, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
2022 Metal Fluid, Park Tae Joon Memorial Hall, Busan, Korea
Kim Bokjin and Korean Modern and Contemporary Sculptors, Cheongju Museum of Art, Cheongju, Korea
Art & Industry, Ulsan Art Museum, Ulsan, Korea
Hallyu! The Korean Wave, V&A South Kensington, London, UK
HiKR Art Museum Inaugural Exibition, HiKR Ground, Seoul, Korea
Kak, Hite Collection, Seoul, Korea
Children’s Day 100th Anniversary Special Exhibition,Hello Museum, Seoul, Korea
Another Asian Artist, THE SHOPHOUSE, Tai Hang, Hong Kong
The Glitter Path, Art Space Hohwa, Seoul, Korea
New Acquisitions, Pohang Museum of Steel Art, Pohang, Korea2021 Art Token: KARTZ Art Shapes the Future, Nodeul Island, Seoul, Korea
Arcane, Scene, Seoul, Korea
The Premiere, Cheongdam A Lounge, Seoul, Korea
Texture House, P.ARK, Busan, Korea
The Chronical of Lost Time, Seoul National University Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2020 YES/NO/LIKE/DISLIKE/LOVE/HATE/REPLY/SHARE, Art Delight, Seoul, Korea
The Guide to the Earth Life, Koo House Museum, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
NO SAPCE JUST A PLACE : ETEROTOPIA, Daelim Museum, Seoul, Korea
Remix, Pohang Museum of Steel Art, Pohang, Korea
2019 Furniture, ARARIO MUSEUM in Space, Seoul, Korea
To the Moon with Snoopy, Lotte Museum, Seoul, Korea
MOKA Triangle, Hyundai Museum of Kid’s Books & Art, Pangyo, Korea
The Third Image, Kim Chong Yung Museum, Seoul, Korea
2018 Endless Column, ARARIO GALLERY Ryse Hotel, Seoul, Korea
Post 88’, Seoul Olympic Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2015 Tech 4 Change, Vestfossen Kunstlaboratoriumn, Vestfossen, Norway
Uproarious, Heated, Inundated, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
2014 Pillars, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
Tomorrow 2014 Part 2: Culture Print, DDP, Seoul, Korea
Medium at Large, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
K –Pop: Korean Contemporary Art, Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
2011 ARTISTS with ARARIO Part 1, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, Seoul, Korea
The Korean Miracle: A Cultural Evolution, Asia House, London, UK
Embracing the void, HADA Contemporary, London, UK
2010 Memories of Future, Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
Korean Eye: Fantastic Ordinary, Saatchi Gallery, London; The Arts House, Singapore, Singapore; The Seoul Museum of Art, Gyeonghuigung,
Seoul; The Korea Foundation Cultural Centre, Seoul
Roundabout°Conversations in art from around the globe, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, NZ
Man Ray’s Photography & His Heritage, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul
New York Photo Festival 2010, Smack Mellon, New York, USA
A POSITIVE VIEW, Somerset House, London, UK
ARTISTS with ARARIO, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL/CHEONAN, Seoul/Cheonan, Korea
2009 Manipulating Reality, The Center for Contemporary Culture Strozzina, Florence, France
2008 Youth Portraits, Avanthay Contemporary, Zurich, Switzerland
Peppermint Candy: Contemporary Art from Korea, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
Collaborations
2022 Physical Performance <Play for a while>_Motivated by “The Cloud Dream of the Nine”, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
The Prequel by Mint:ist’Club, Platform-L, Seoul, Korea2021 Riot Games, Seoul, Korea
2020 Hermès Window Display 2020: New Structure of Sculpture - A Trip to Another Joyful Place, Hermès, Shinsegae Department Store Daegu
2019 Art Bookshop, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
2018 BMW, Seoul, Korea
2013 Masspatterns, 13 S/S Collaboration Exhibition #03, MANMADE WOOYOUNGMI, Seoul, Korea
2011 Fashion into Art, Vogue Korea, PLATEAU, Seoul, Korea
2009 W Korea, Seoul, Korea
Hoodie on Moment, Nike Sportswear, Gallery Hyundai Gangnam Space, Seoul, Korea
2008 Harper’s Bazaar, Boon the Shop, Seoul, Korea
Perfect Symmetry, Keane, Island Records
NIKE SU08 DUNK “Be True”, Seoul, Korea
2006 Fendi, Gallery IHN, Seoul, Korea
2002 OPAQUE, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
Awards
2012 Kim Se Choong Sculpture Prize
2001 Photograph Critique Awards
Residencies
2013 Temenggong Artists-In-Residence, Singapore
2010 DOOSAN Residency, New York, Korea
2005 National Art Studio Changdong, Seoul, Korea
2003 Youngeun Artist-in-Residence, Gwangju, Korea
Selected Collections
Victoria and Albert Museum, UK
Zabludowicz Collection, UK
Universal Music Group, USA
Burger Collection, Germany
David Roberts Art Foundation, UK
Roundabout Collection, USA
Hermes Collection, Australia
Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
Leeum, Sanmsung Museum of Art, Korea
Seoul Museum of Art, Korea
Busan Museum of Art, Korea
Pohang Museum of Art, Korea
Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Korea
Daegu Art Museum, Korea
Suwon Museum of Art, Korea
Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
Art Sonje Center, Korea
Asano Institute, Japan
Embassy of Switzerland, Korea
Samsung Fine Chemical, Korea
Hana Bank, Korea
Lotte Museum, Korea
YG Entertainment, Korea
ARARIO MUSEUM, Korea
Doosan Collection, Korea
Statoil ASA, Norway
Ole Faarup Collection, Denmark
RC Nursery Private Limited, India
