Artcube 2R2 to Open Kim Deok-yong, Byun Yong-kuk Show ‘Light Resting in the Grain’ on Aug. 28, With Yuji Kobayashi Rooftop Exhibition

Artcube 2R2 said on Aug. 21 that it will open “Light Resting in the Grain,” a two-person exhibition featuring Kim Deok-yong and Byun Yong-kuk, on Aug. 28. The exhibition spotlights two artists who have expressed the radiant beauty of Korean light through different materials and formal languages.

Kim brings out the light held in nature by adding mother-of-pearl and lacquer to the grain of wood. Byun created a subdued light that emerges from within the canvas through the repeated act of layering and scraping paint. Rather than merely depicting light, both artists trace how it is generated and accumulated through material and process.

Four of Kim’s works were recently formally added to the collection of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris after a review process of about one year. The acquisition by one of Europe’s leading national museums dedicated to non-Western art and culture underscores growing international recognition for Kim’s practice, which extends Korean materials including wood, mother-of-pearl and lacquer into a contemporary formal language.

The idea of grain appears differently in the two artists’ work. Kim reveals the natural grain carried in wood, while Byun creates a new grain through repeated brushstrokes and layers of paint. The exhibition title, “Light Resting in the Grain,” refers to light resting on these different grains. It points to the place where grain found in nature and grain created through repeated movements of the hand connect as a single light.

The exhibition was organized at Kim’s suggestion and brings together two artists who shared a long friendship. It is also the first exhibition to be presented since Byun’s death, highlighting works by two artists who worked with different materials and methods.

Hong Ji-sook, chief executive officer of Artcube 2R2, said the exhibition is being held during Frieze Seoul and is intended to introduce the distinctive materials and aesthetics of Korean art to both domestic visitors and overseas guests. The gallery will also present goods featuring images from Kim’s work, offering another way to experience his artistic world and encounter the beauty of Korean art in everyday life.

“Light Resting in the Grain” will occupy all three floors of Artcube 2R2. It will include paintings by the two artists as well as media works using their practice.

During Kiaf and Frieze Seoul, Artcube 2R2’s seventh-floor rooftop will also host a special exhibition inviting visitors to experience flowers and plants through a new visual and sensory perspective. It will feature works by floral artist Yuji Kobayashi and a sound installation that converts subtle life signals from plants into sound, allowing visitors to encounter plants through both sight and hearing.

More information is available on Artcube 2R2’s website and official Instagram.