▲ Untitled(2022) Fiberglass, resin, wood, cardboard, charcoal, oil paint 119.4x83.8x12.7cm ⓒ Gana Art Nineone

The solo exhibition 'Shape Memory' by sculptor Ernesto Burgos will be held in Seoul.

The artist is based in Brooklyn, New York, and will hold the first solo exhibition in Asia in South Korea.

The exhibition name 'Shape Memory' is a word that means that substances exposed to external stimuli, such as heat, voluntarily return to their original shape. This represents the artist's view of art that expresses the movement of objects whose shape and structure are reconstructed.

▲ Hegemony(2023) Fiberglass, resin, wood, Cardboard, Charcoal, Oil Paint 91.4x81.3x10.2cm ⓒ Gana Art Nineone

His work was heavily influenced by sculptures representing American Abstract Expressionism in the 1970s, including ceramic works by ceramic artist Peter Voulkos(1924-2002) and car metal parts by John Chamberlain(1927-2011).

Ernesto accidentally discovered a phenomenon in which resin was piled up in layers while cutting and attaching furniture. Through this, he was inspired by the sense of rhythm and dimensions found in unintended transformation and form, and later created a new form of work using cardboard and glass fibers as the main materials.

▲ The Installation View ⓒ Gana Art Nineone

The works exhibited in this individual exhibition are made to be hung on the wall like ordinary paintings. Still, at the same time, they are sculpted in three dimensions to show a difference from traditional abstract paintings.

The artist darkened the outline of the work and emphasized the shade, dividing each work into an independent frame. In addition, various industrial materials such as plywood and cardboard were transformed by breaking, photographing, and bending, then spontaneously poured paint or drawn, and the shape was fixed with adhesives such as wax and resin.

▲ Kibitzer(2023) Fiberglass, Resin, Wood, Cardboard, Charcoal, Oil Paint 188x137.2x20.3cm ⓒ Gana Art Nineone
Ernesto described his work as a free and open way of working, "I set the direction of the sculpture in advance, but I don't completely control the process of their movement and twisting."

The exhibition will be held from the 17th to the 10th of next month at Gana Art Nineone located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Sayart.net
Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com