From November 15 to December 20, 2024, the Sprüth Magers Gallery in New York is hosting Song Hyun Sook’s debut solo exhibition in the United States. Renowned for her evocative use of the ancient medium of egg tempera and her minimalist, deliberate brushstrokes, Song’s work offers an intimate exploration of memory, space, and materiality. The exhibition marks a pivotal moment in the career of the South Korean artist, showcasing her singular approach to painting that intertwines meditative precision with East Asian calligraphic traditions.
Song’s artistic process is both methodical and performative. Her studio becomes a stage where balance, discipline, and concentration converge. A narrow wooden plank supported by blocks spans the canvas on her studio floor. Positioned barefoot above her work, Song executes each brushstroke with meticulous care, describing the process as “thinking with her hands.” This dynamic interplay between physical control and meditative focus translates into her paintings, which embody both the rigor and fragility of her approach.
Her works defy conventional linear perspective. Instead, Song achieves depth and space through the subtle application of paint. The largely monochromatic canvases often feature recurring motifs: ribbons of cloth, bamboo canes, gauzy veils, and clay pots. These images, rooted in the artist’s memories of her rural upbringing in South Korea, remain detached from explicit narrative contexts. For instance, in Brushstrokes-Diagram (2024), a wooden pole obscured by translucent white veils of paint appears to float in an undefined space, evoking both the fragility of the material world and the ephemeral nature of memory.
Each painting is named after the precise number of brushstrokes used to create it, such as 7 Brushstrokes over 1 Brushstroke (2023), emphasizing the economy of motion and material in Song’s work. Her disciplined approach extends to discarding and re-grounding canvases for any unsuccessful attempts. This meticulous preparation and her commitment to the integrity of each gesture reflect her adherence to the principles of "discipline, concentration, and endurance," words she has written as a note on her studio wall.
Born in 1952 in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, Song’s work bridges her Korean heritage with her contemporary practice. Now based in Hamburg, Germany, her paintings have gained recognition in prestigious exhibitions worldwide, including institutions such as the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; and Hamburger Kunsthalle, where her work is currently featured in the group exhibition Isa Mona Lisa (on display through October 2026).
This exhibition in New York provides viewers with a rare opportunity to experience the meditative power of Song’s paintings up close. It invites audiences to reflect on the delicate balance between action and stillness, memory and materiality, making it a landmark moment in Song’s artistic journey and a profound addition to the contemporary art scene.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
