Installation view
of 《World Worlds》 ©ARARIO GALLERYARARIO GALLERY SEOUL presents a solo exhibition by sculptor UM Tai-Jung (b. 1938) titled 《World Worlds》 through August 2. This exhibition showcases a total of 27 works of UM's rarely exhibited sculptures from the 1970s, as well as recent and new sculptures, paintings, and drawings—offering a comprehensive exploration of UM's artistic vision and philosophy.
Installation view
of 《World Worlds》 ©ARARIO GALLERYUM Tai-Jung is a leading figure of the
first generation of contemporary abstract sculpture in Korea and has pursued a
career in the field of formative arts for over six decades since the early
1960s. UM Tai-Jung’s artistic practice explores the existence of things as
living structures rather than fixed forms, where objects and humans, time and
space, constantly intersect within a space of inherent order.
Engaging with the physical properties of
metals such as steel, copper, and aluminum, he embeds within them layers of
time, spirituality, and ontological depth. Drawn to the materiality of steel,
UM initially presented intense steel sculptures, later shifting his focus to
copper, bronze, and aluminum, delving into sculptural expressions of temporal
and philosophical dimensions.
Installation view
of 《World Worlds》 ©ARARIO GALLERYUM's works evoke poetic and meditative spaces, embodying a philosophical vision that transcends formal simplicity to open up entire worlds—spaces where humans may dwell. His practice reflects an Eastern philosophical outlook, contemplating traditional views of nature and cosmology, and achieving a profound harmony between the material and the spiritual.
