Paris-based Cledia Fourniau's solo show explores reflection into self

Using acrylic paint and mica, Paris-based Cledia Fourniau's paintings feature poetic narratives with a glossy surface. The artist unveiled her new works at her solo exhibition at Koenig Seoul on Friday, the artist's first exhibition in South Korea.

The artist’s approach to paintings lies somewhere in the space between formal, controlled and accidental practices, inviting the audience to arouse different feelings depending on each viewer’s perspectives.

"That way, viewers become participants in the art, interacting with my works," she said in French during the press tour at the gallery on Friday.

The reflective surface is central to her paintings, incorporating resin and metallic silver, which she introduced for the first time for the exhibition.

The reflective effect functions both as a metaphor and a literal tool, echoing German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s observation that goes: “If you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you,” according to the artist.

Drawing inspiration from the late US American painter Robert Ryman, she explores how the physical qualities of the canvas, pigment and even glue used in their preparation can shape the final work. The artist creates canvases herself using mattress covers, pajamas and others materials from her daily life, she said.

“I like talking about our body through my paintings,” she said.

Forniau used irregular lines left behind by poorly applied rabbit-skin glue as a guiding structure, allowing these accidental marks to determine the form and composition of the paintings. Compared to previous exhibitions, Fourniau has recently been moving toward more pared-down, quieter images in her work, according to the gallery.

Fourniau was born in 1992 in Paris.

The exhibition “MASHENUP” runs at Koenig Seoul through Nov. 30.