GWON Osang (b. 1974) is a sculptor who has constantly questioned the identity of sculpture and tried to converge new experimental media into new form structure. His varied approach for exploring the existence of sculptures is composed of five series, Deodorant Type, The Sculpture, The Flat, New Structure, and Relief. Deodorant Type was shaped in ‘ISO-pink(hardened Styrofoam)’ to break the notion that sculpture must be heavy, and the outer edges were covered with hundreds of photographs directly taken or collected for supporting light sculptures and expanded the sculpture while presenting new materials.

The Sculpture is a series that unravels the meaning of traditional sculptures that try to realize the ideal of the time in the closest proximity to reality. Considering the definition of sculpture by using bronze, a traditional material of sculpture, to bring the high-value consumers, the ideal of the 21st century such as Lamborghini and Bugatti, close to the actual shape but makes the surface treatment which has not been refined, unlike the traditional method. New Structure is a series of works that have been expanded to three dimensions by adding Alexander Calder’s Stabile concept to The Flat series. The series, which mainly occupies spaces with aluminum structures, adds to the characteristics of existing image acquisition and placement, and questions the relationship between sculpture and space through the perspective of the artist who travels between 2D and 3D. The latest series, Relief, is a new method of traditional carving, by building the two-dimensional plane in three dimensions, after realizing the exclusive image collection and arrangement on a flat, original version.

GWON Osang graduated from the Department of Sculpture of Hongik University College of Fine Arts in 2000 and obtained his master’s degree from the graduate school of the same university in 2004. He has held solo and collaborative exhibitions at Lotte Avenuel Art Hall (Seoul, Korea, 2023), Ilmin Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea, 2022), Suwon Museum of Art (Suwon, Korea, 2022), ARARIO GALLERY (Seoul, Korea; Shanghai, China, 2016), among others. His solo exhibitions have been showcased worldwide at venues such as Hermès (Sydney, Australia, 2016), Waterfall Gallery (New York, US, 2016), Okinawa Contemporary Art Center (Okinawa, Japan, 2015), Joyce Paris (Paris, France, 2014), HADA Contemporary (London, UK, 2013), Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester, UK, 2008). Group exhibitions showcasing his works have been held at Arko Art Center (Seoul, Korea, 2025), ARARIO GALLERY (Seoul, Korea, 2024; 2023; 2018; 2014; 2011; 2010), Gyeongnam Art Museum (Changwon, Korea, 2023), V&A Museum (London, UK, 2023), The Shop House (Hong Kong, 2022), Seoul National University Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea, 2021), Daelim Museum (Seoul, Korea, 2020), Pohang Museum of Steel Art (Pohang, Korea, 2020), Lotte Museum (Seoul, Korea, 2019), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul, Korea, 2015), Singapore Art Museum (Singapore, 2014), Saatchi Gallery (London, UK, 2010), Burger Collection (Berlin, Germany, 2009), Bologna Museum of Modern Art (Bologna, Italy, 2004), and FOAM (Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2003). In addition, GWON has collaborated with various brands such as Jaguar, BMW, Wooyoungmi, Hermès and Riot Games to bring contemporary art closer to the public. His works are part of the collections at institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Busan Museum of Art, and Leeum Museum of Art in Korea.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

I grew up in Seoul. I often heard stories about my maternal grandfather, who had lived in Japan and Manchuria and dreamed of becoming a painter. As a child, I was completely absorbed in assembling plastic models. In middle school, I briefly studied calligraphy, and around that time I began subscribing to art magazines. The contemporary artists I encountered there appeared to me as the most remarkable figures in the world. Believing that I had to attend an art high school in order to become an artist, I made that decision—this was the true beginning of my artistic journey.

What are the main themes or concepts you explore in your work?

My central theme is the exploration of contemporary sculpture itself. I have a deep interest in the history of human sculpture, and when this is combined with my daily life as a sculptor, it becomes the foundation of my work.

How has your artistic style evolved over time? How did you come up with the idea to use pigment print as the material for your experimental form of sculpture?

Throughout the 1990s, while studying at art school, my main concern was how to create sculptures that were light in weight, easily, and quickly. At the time, black-and-white prints made using cameras and darkrooms, as well as color prints produced in the school’s print shop, were very familiar media to me. I felt that by using photographic paper to create paper sculptures, I might solve all the problems I was facing. The photo-sculpture Deodorant Type, which I first presented in 1998, continues to this day. Later, influenced by The Sculpture series, which was based on internet images I came across, I began producing a large number of photo-sculptures using found online images. The Flat series, in which I meticulously cut out and photographed magazine spreads and graphics, eventually led to the New Structure series, in which large image panels are assembled and erected. Each of these series has diverged and converged over time, evolving into the works I am creating today.

Can you describe a recent project or artwork that you are particularly proud of?

My recent works begin with 3D scans of photo-sculpture, which are then enlarged and cast in bronze. I finish the surfaces with airbrushed color so they read as if photographs had been applied directly onto them. At first glance, these pieces register as photo-sculpture, yet once installed outdoors they function as public art. What began in my practice as a meeting between photography and sculpture has now expanded into a space where painting and sculpture converge.

What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have you overcome them?

The difficulties of being an artist are, in truth, no different from the difficulties of being human. In fact, art is easy—life is hard.

What do you hope people take away from your art when they experience it?

I don’t expect the audience to feel anything specific. Rather, I hope they spend time before my work, sense the space, and create a margin in their mind—a space in which they can look at or feel the present age.

Text & photo courtesy of GWON Osang

Website: https://osang.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwonosang/