Artist Seo Seung-yeon held Solo Exhibition at Omi Gallery in Insadong, south korea

From August 20 to 25, artist Seo Seung-yeon held a solo exhibition titled “Remembered City, Remains in Light” at the Omi Gallery, located on the second floor of the Insadong Maru Main Building (35-6 Insadong-gil, Seoul).

Seo is a prolific artist with a career that includes 27 solo exhibitions, 10 booth solo shows, and participation in over 300 group exhibitions and art fairs.

Her works are part of the collections at notable institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Cheongju Museum of Art, Baekmin Museum of Art, and Shema Art Museum. 

This exhibition features mostly acrylic and mixed-media pieces portraying cool and refreshing scenes of Seoul, offering relief from the summer heat. 

The works explore the theme of the city as a place where the past, present, and future coexist.

The artist draws inspiration from traditional Korean villages, including Bukchon, Jeonju, and Eunpyeong, with Seo noting that her depictions of Suwon Hanok Village turned out especially well.

Before creating each piece, Seo photographed the actual locations herself to enhance the realism of her work. 

She explained that she’s long been drawn to cities and architectural themes, including hanok villages and lanterns. “At the core of these subjects is architecture,” she said. “Even Korean roof tiles, which have evolved since ancient times, are part of that architectural beauty.” 

Seo also discussed her unique way of painting skies like waves of water, symbolizing purification, which she finds deeply meaningful. “I hope viewers feel emotionally cleansed and enriched when they see my work,” 

she mentioned “I imagined buildings reborn through water, and I carefully controlled the brightness of the lights in the skyscrapers to create a sense of depth and emphasize contrast in the foreground.” 

From the beginning of her career, Seo has consistently used water as a motif, often portraying cities submerged under water. Through this, she conveys ideas of urban life, vitality, cycles, and rebirth.

Seo holds a master’s degree in painting from Hongik University Graduate School of Fine Arts. Before becoming a fine artist, she worked for several years as an illustrator and participated twice in the KIAF (Korea International Art Fair) as a booth exhibitor.