Keun Wook JI (-1985) has delved into a rigid order formed through strictly calculated rules and static lines, where autonomy is intentionally constrained. But, the comfort derived from such geometric perfection eventually forced him to confront an internal void and methodological limitations—the result of being submerged in visual formalism.
Moving beyond mere variations of familiar lines, the artist now expands his horizons by focusing on the variable energy generated from the collision with his medium and the latent, new dimensions of sensation beneath the surface. The acts inscribed upon the canvas are no longer repetitions of a predetermined order. Instead, they are traces of a transition—deconstructing fixed forms and exploring nonlinear layers of time. This shift is the result of a persistent will to open the realms of perception toward a more fundamental vitality. The artist’s exploration of the fundamental possibilities of painting remains an open-ended project, continuously expanding its boundaries in all directions.
Keun Wook JI received his B.F.A. in Printmaking from Hongik University and earned an M.A. in Art & Science from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. He subsequently completed his Ph.D. in Painting at Hongik University. His major solo exhibitions include 《Metallic Wings》(2026, Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul, Korea), 《Eye on the Arc》(2025, Schema Art Museum, Cheongju, Korea), 《Glass》(2024, WWNN, Seoul, Korea), 《Quaoar》(2024, Sungkok
Art Museum, Seoul, Korea),《Hardboiled Breeze》(2023, Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul, Korea), 《Interval of Afterimage》(2021, A-Lounge, Seoul, Korea). His major group exhibitions include 《from the earth》(2025, Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul, Korea), 《Flyby》(2024, Prompt Project, Seoul, Korea), 《Another material property》(2023, Hongik University Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea), 《Skins》(2022, Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul, Korea), 《Icon》(2021, Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul, Korea). Ji was a selected artist for the Sungkok Art Museum Open Call and has been a recipient of both the Promising Artist and Emerging Artist tracks of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC) Arts Support Program.
