Installation
view of 《Discontinuouscontinuity》
©ARARIO GALLERYARARIO GALLERY presents a solo exhibition 《Discontinuouscontinuity》
by artist Lee jinju, on view through October 9 at its Seoul
branch.
Lee Jinju (b.1980) captures the
discontinuous strangeness embedded within the continuity of everyday scenes
through meticulous brushwork based on traditional East Asian painting
techniques. By focusing on moments that are newly perceived according to shifts
in perspective and modes of perception, Lee questions the very nature of
“seeing.” Through delicate and thorough observation, she detects the unusually
unfamiliar and strange discontinuities within the continuum of the most
ordinary landscapes.
Installation
view of 《Discontinuouscontinuity》
©ARARIO GALLERYThe title of this exhibition, 《Discontinuouscontinuity》, concisely
encapsulates the central theme that Lee has long explored. She observes the
ambivalent nature of the world around her—at once uniquely independent and
intricately connected. From the personal continuity linking her mother,
herself, and her daughter, to vast panoramic landscapes, the beings, objects, and
events encountered in life all possess their own “discontinuous continuity.”
Presented across the entire space of ARARIO
GALLERY SEOUL, this exhibition showcases a total of 54 new and recent works by
Lee Jinju. It offers a glimpse into the trajectory of her painterly methodology
while guiding viewers to complete their own narratives within the realm of
personal experience and perception.
Installation
view of 《Discontinuouscontinuity》
©ARARIO GALLERYLee’s paintings interact closely with the
gallery’s spatial scale and structure. The overall exhibition flow evokes a
psychological journey designed by the artist, rather than a mere arrangement of
works. Imagery drawn from autobiographical experiences and memories is rendered
with realism and precision, yet within the scenes, these elements relate to one
another in surreal and illogical ways, revealing an unfamiliar dissonance. The
canvas remains a flexible space imbued with unfixed meanings and open to free
interpretation.
A recurring motif in her work, the
“curtain” serves both as a screen that blocks subjects from one another and as
a shelter that protects them. As a painterly device, it signifies psychological
and physical boundaries while simultaneously suggesting hidden connections
between fragmented scenes—thus visually embodying the exhibition’s theme of
“discontinuous continuity.” Meanwhile, the blank spaces on and around the
canvas act as unspoken interludes, symbols of invisible potentiality that hint
at the “discontinuous continuity” of the visual world.
