Installations that combine steel, hanji shown at Artcube 2R2

Installation artist Lee Sung-kuen’s solo exhibition “The Circle of Life” at Artcube 2R2 in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul encompasses the artist’s 70-year career that has evolved around the act of continuous binding and tying.

The exhibition that kicked off on Aug. 29 features the artist’s iconic installations created with oil-tempered steel wire, widely used for springs, wrapped in hanji, traditional Korean mulberry paper.

The wire is woven into a mesh in round shapes reminiscent of cocoons or clouds, the connecting knots and the wires between them appearing like dots and lines.

“Hanji, which is incomparably soft yet possesses long-lasting vitality, connects to the continuity and existence of life. The rounded pieces, composed of small knots and lines wrapped in hanji, create a space that feels as serene as a mother’s embrace,” the artist said of his work.

A professor at Hongik University, College of Fine Arts, Lee has exhibited in Milan, Paris, New York since 1998.

Artcube 2R2, a gallery newly launched by ArtToken, an online non-fungible token art trading platform, is open Tuesday-Saturday. The exhibition will run through Oct. 16.