SEOUL SayArt - The renowned Stephen Friedman Gallery, known for representing artists of international acclaim, recently concluded its groundbreaking exhibition 'The Face and The Figure' at Frieze Seoul 2023. The show, curated an impressive lineup of artists including Juan Araujo, Jonathan Baldock, Sarah Ball, Caroline Coon, Denzil Forrester, Sky Glabush, Wayne Gonzales, Ged Quinn, Anne Rothenstein, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Caroline Walker, and Yooyun Yang. 

▲ Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Hybrid Mask (Bozo), 2023, Wood, acrylic paint, brass, Mask: 48 x 29.5 x 46.5cm, Overall: 148.5 x 30 x 46.5cm,Photo by Sims Green@SayArt.

While the exhibited artists varied widely in style and geographic origin, they were unified in their critical approach to the subjects they depicted, offering fresh interpretations of portraiture's intricate history. The exhibition dove deep into themes of identity, history, and transformation.

The Korean artist, Yooyun Yang, had intrigued attendees with her ethereal paintings that balanced between realism and fantasy. Her use of light was particularly arresting, crafting atmospheric depictions that shy away from direct gazes, thereby capturing intimate moments of human emotion. Similarly, Wayne Gonzales, an American artist, portrayed a tightly packed crowd scene that, upon closer inspection, was a composite of various internet-sourced images – a fabricated portrait capturing a nonexistent event.

▲ Yooyun Yang, out of Focus, 20223, Acrylic on handmade koean paper o penel, 117x91cm, Courtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery.

Jonathan Baldock, a British artist, showcased a sizeable new tapestry that blended humor with explorations of mortality and spirituality, all related to the human body. Meanwhile, British counterparts Sarah Ball and Caroline Coon dealt with issues of gender and identity. Ball's "Fin (2023)" was a portrait that managed to be both contemporary and timeless, real and ghostly. Coon, on the other hand, stirred the waters with her art that draws from feminist ideologies and challenges the established patriarchal norms.

Denzil Forrester, a Grenadian-British painter, breathed life into scenes inspired by the dub and reggae rhythms of 1980s London's dancehalls. His works pulsed with energy, depicted with vigorous brushstrokes and dazzling colors.

▲ Denzil Forrester, Jungleheart, 1995, Oil on canvas, 153.2 x 196.2cm,Photo by Sims Green@SayArt.

Outside the exhibition, several of the artists had been or will be part of significant events. Jonathan Baldock opened two UK solo exhibitions in September 2023. Sarah Ball featured in group exhibitions in China in 2022, while Denzil Forrester boasted two major solo exhibitions in the U.S. in 2023. Sky Glabush is slated for a touring solo show in 2024, and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA will be part of Venice's 60th International Art Exhibition in 2024, having just completed commissioned works for Sharjah Biennial's 30th anniversary in February 2023. Yooyun Yang will present her solo exhibition at Primary Practice in Seoul on 23 September 2023.

▲ Sarah Ball Fin, 2023, Oil on linen, 140 x 120cm, Framed 142.4 x 122.3cm, urtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery. In terms of developments for the Stephen Friedman Gallery, October 2023 marked its expansion and relocation to Cork Street, Mayfair, with the design handled by the award-winning David Kohn Architects. Later in the year, the gallery will establish its first outpost outside the UK in Tribeca, New York, designed by Trimble Architecture.

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Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com