Hakgojae Shanghai presents Oh Se-Yeol's first solo exhibition in Mainland China from August 27th to October 23rd, 2016.
Backgrounds of Oh's works are monochromatic, filled with one color, or sometimes split into two. They are extremely monotonous, and yet covered with symbols- such as numbers, lines and figures- of abundant implications. The painter has his unique way of creation. First, he creates the background by completely draining the oils from the paint before painting. Then, lines and numbers are presented on canvas or wooden panel with layers of pigment by collage and scratch. His paintings, as if bearing a strata accumulated over the ages, create illusionary atmosphere with a light tone. The matiere of artworks and figures on its surface may evoke people’s emotional experience and memory, and reveal the sentiment against the Western tradition of oil painting in Korean contemporary history. The Layers of Memory will show Oh's representative works from 1980s to the present. Through this exhibition, the audience will be able to encounter the familiar, intimate, and distinctive oeuvres of Oh Se-Yeol.