Seo Jaewoong (b.1985) is an artist whose practice reflects on the principles of the world, the cycles of the ecosystem, and the relationships between the environment, humans, and non-human beings. Recognizing the cyclical interconnections between the human and non-human, he creates multifaceted narratives using materials already present in the natural and built environment, employing minimal processing to propose a vision of coexistence within the ecosystem.

Seo Jaewoong’s practice began with large-scale paintings. In his early works, which primarily employed oil paint, the artist expressed a skeptical attitude toward the world. According to his artist statement, he once regarded the world as “chaotic, random, and reckless,” believing that “only fleeting sensations and momentary emotions could be considered true” in such a state.

As a result, there was no overarching theme or narrative that unified his works during that period. He felt that attempting to present a consistent story while depicting a disordered world would itself be a form of falsehood.

In 2018, Seo Jaewoong encountered the philosophy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements (Eumyang-Ohaeng), which profoundly shifted his perspective on the world—and, in turn, his artistic practice.

The concept of Eumyang-Ohaeng is a cornerstone of Eastern philosophy. “Yin-Yang” refers to the idea that opposing forces are not only interconnected but also mutually dependent, constantly interacting in a cycle of balance and transformation. “Five Elements” (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) represents the dynamic relationships of generation and control among these five energies.

Building on this framework, Seo began to explore the dialectical and complementary relationships between opposites—symbolized by Yin and Yang—and delved into traditional Eastern subjects and techniques. This led him to develop new ways of drawing and painting inspired by classical Korean and East Asian art.

Since 2020, Seo Jaewoong has been expressing the cyclical relationships of mutual generation (sangsaeng) and mutual restraint (sanggeuk)—as symbolized by the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)—through sculpture. His primary medium for these works is wood.

Rather than consuming new materials for his pieces, Seo gathers wood that has been cut and discarded in forests or parks, or repurposes leftover timber once used by others. When he does use new materials, he chooses natural or low-toxicity options whenever possible.

This conscious material choice is deeply rooted in his understanding of Eumyang-Ohaeng. Upon realizing that this philosophy is closely tied to the Earth’s rotation and revolution—essentially, the cycles of climate—Seo naturally developed a deeper concern for the environment. As a result, he has sought to minimize his ecological footprint by favoring sustainable or upcycled materials.

A representative work from this approach, Water Deer (2020), exemplifies his method: the face is carved from a tree stump found in a park, the ears were cut from the top panel of a discarded dining table, and the body, legs, and tail were assembled from leftover scrap wood.

Seo Jaewoong also draws inspiration from shamanism, animism, and natural philosophy—ancient belief systems and records that reflect how our ancestors sought to understand natural phenomena.

For instance, he sculpted a figure of the Mountain Spirit Grandmother (Sansin Halmeoni), a deity in Korean mythology believed to protect mountains from landslides and earthquakes, and installed it on Inwangsan Mountain. In another work, he used the dragon—a traditional symbol of rain and wind in Korean folk beliefs—as a central motif to express a hope that it might wash away fine dust, a pressing climate issue of our time.

In this way, Seo Jaewoong’s sculptures—rooted in a deep respect for the philosophy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements—bear the marks of careful handcraftsmanship and an attentive focus on the texture and grain of the raw materials. He emphasizes the importance of “bodily sensation, material awareness, and chaos” in his working process.

Rather than relying on power tools, he prefers handcrafting, allowing traces of touch to remain visible in the final work. He minimizes processing in order to preserve and highlight the innate qualities of each material. When Seo speaks of valuing chaos, he refers to the intentional act of letting go—of themes, the body’s direction, or material expectations—and entering a state of “purposelessness.” Paradoxically, he believes that such purposelessness can complement and clarify purpose, allowing it to emerge more authentically through the act of making.

In his 2022 solo exhibition 《Firemakers》 at Space Willing N Dealing, Seo Jaewoong presented a body of work focused on climate and ecology—themes he had long been exploring. He approached the climate crisis through the lens of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, interpreting it specifically as an imbalance caused by artificial “fire,” a force with predominantly “Yin” characteristics.

Seo viewed the blue light of phone and computer screens, the glow of streetlights and lamps, and the heat emitted by factories, power plants, and cars—all as manifestations of this artificial fire, born of modern civilization. Centering the exhibition around this concept of fire, he created a visual and philosophical dialogue between traditional ecological thought and the realities of contemporary life.

All of the works in this exhibition were created using discarded and repurposed materials, emphasizing Seo Jaewoong’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and ecological awareness. The five main sculptures featured in the show were inspired by the four primary drivers of the climate crisis identified in Bill Gates’ book: manufacturing, electricity generation, transportation, and livestock farming and agriculture.

The Blacksmith (2022), created using a discarded Go board, symbolizes production and manufacturing; God of Thunder (2022), made from repurposed wood, represents electricity generation; Horse (2022) embodies the horse as a longstanding symbol of transportation; and Ox (2022) reflects livestock farming and crop cultivation.

Surrounding these works, Seo placed fossilized plants from the Carboniferous period—symbolic of fossil fuels—to create an allegorical environment that evokes the industrial systems driving today’s climate crisis.

Each of Seo Jaewoong’s sculptures takes on a hybrid form—part human, part nature—and draws connections to ancient mythology. For example, The Blacksmith references the blacksmith deity depicted in Goguryeo tomb murals, while God of Thunder draws on pre-Industrial Revolution conceptions of electricity—lightning, thunder gods, and storm deities.

In this way, Seo traces the history of the climate crisis, borrowing stories from the past to draw parallels with the present. By assembling and connecting discarded wooden objects, he gives material form to a narrative in which past and present are interwoven. Curator Hyun Seewon describes his process as “story-building and simulating toward the past,” adding that Seo “brings forth sculptural subjects as agents within the historical timeline of the climate crisis.”

In his 2024 solo exhibition 《Between Us》 at Space Willing N Dealing, Seo Jaewoong took a more active approach to exploring human existence not merely as a singular species but as part of an organic relationship intertwined with biology, nature, and the flow of time on Earth.

Seo explains that when we trace time back, we realize that humanity exists within the long span of Earth’s history, connected to the birth and transformation of nature. He highlights that while humans, non-human entities, nature, and the Earth’s ecosystem all originated from a single point and are intricately connected, humanity has faced crises such as war and climate change due to the imbalance between scientific progress and the natural world.

The artist approached this issue through an ontological philosophy of human existence, seeking to find clues within it that could help overcome the environmental crises currently faced. The resulting sculptures depict animals that have existed for billions of years as life forms differentiated over time. These forms blend animal and human characteristics, symbolizing the connection between the non-human and human realms.

Additionally, fossils and single crystal silicon (99.99% pure silicon), a material used in semiconductors, was used for the eyes of the animals. By using fossils, which carry the Earth's ancient history, and cutting-edge materials like single crystal silicon, the artist symbolizes the “eyes,” often referred to as the window to the soul, while revealing the continuous flow between today's technological civilization and the past. This act ties together the cyclical nature of ecosystems, the passage of time, and the interconnection between modern technology and past existence.

Seo Jaewoong's work speaks to the interconnectedness of all beings that constitute the world. Grounded in the worldview of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, his art overcomes the anthropocentric epistemology that has underpinned the modern scientific revolution, suggesting a holistic view of the Earth's cyclical structure.

”Change is harmonious from the Earth's point of view, but human life often suffers from storms, droughts, and heavy snow. Whenever that happens, humans try to harmonize with nature again. The act of striving for balance, the action of seeking harmony, is expressed in my work.

Like day and night, seemingly different but interlocking, like the changing of seasons, where one flows into the next, my work expresses this. It seems that through this, I am attempting to understand the world, seeking inner peace and balance in life.” (Seo jaewoong, Artist’s Note)

Seo Jaewoong graduated from the Department of Painting at Hongik University and the Department of Formative Arts at the Korea National University of Arts. His recent solo exhibitions include 《Between Us》 (Space Willing N Dealing, Seoul, 2024), 《Firemakers》 (Space Willing N Dealing, Seoul, 2022), 《Clouds Without Coordinates》 (Gallery MEME, Seoul, 2018), and 《I went forward and backward and back and forth aimlessly》 (Alternative Space Noon, Suwon, 2015).

In addition, Seo has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the Daejeon Science and Art Biennale Spin-off 《Magnum Opus》 (Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, 2024), 《Heavy Middle Light》 (Caption, Seoul, 2024), Changwon Sculpture Biennale Prologue Exhibition 《Speaking about the future: Shape, map, tree》 (Seongsan Art Hall, Changwon, 2023), 《Our Week》 (Process IJW, Seoul, 2023), 《Publishing as Method (Lighting Band)》 (Artsonje Center, Seoul, 2020), and more.

References

• 서재웅, Seo Jaewoong (Artist Website) 
• 스페이스 윌링앤딜링, [서문] 불 피우는 사람들 – 현시원 (Space Willing N Dealing, [Preface] Firemakers – Seewon Hyun)
• 스페이스 윌링앤딜링, 불 피우는 사람들 아티스트 토크 (Space Willing N Dealing, Firemakers Artist Talk)
• 스페이스 윌링앤딜링, 우리 사이엔 (Space Willing N Dealing, Between Us)
• 대전시립미술관, 대전과학예술비엔날레 스핀오프 《너희가 곧 신임을 모르느냐》 – 서재웅 (Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon Art and Science Biennale Spin-off 《Magnum Opus》 – Seo Jaewoong)