< PreviousCREDIT HERE The LATEST Most artists paint what they know, feel, admire or remember. For Korean-American artist Sunny Kim, her work piques interest, questions memories and stems from a personal refl ection of that which was lost and probably never experienced. As a child, art was always her go-to form of expression and something that came naturally. Most recently, she has begun to express these images through performances, videos and installations that make her think about the possibility of parallel worlds and mediums, coexisting or intersecting. “I believe my work encompasses the human experience at both ends of a spectrum; it is both universal and individual,” says Sunny. Often amazed that people identify and relate to her art, she is unknowingly tactful in revealing hidden emotions that appeal to all senses, and not just to sight. “When we’re experiencing life, we are constantly seeing things, but that is not where it ends; we’re also hearing, smelling, thinking and feeling all sorts of things at the same time,” she expresses, recalling a few memorable responses to her work where viewers were fi lled with a certain impression that they themselves can’t put a fi nger on. “What gets left in one’s memory is an amalgamation of all of these aspects.” Having introduced herself to the Korean art scene in 2001 through her fi rst solo exhibition at Sagan in Seoul, titled Girls in Uniform, Sunny made quite the fi rst impression on visitors, capturing the sentiments of a childhood spent between Korea and America in search for identity through the works. The images of the girls were conceived from the abrupt shifts between both countries, where experiences of uncertainty and vulnerability left haunting impressions on the artist who graduated from The Cooper Union and Hunter College, New York. “I feel strongly about the works I’ve shown at the Korea Artist Prize 2017,” she recalls when asked what is closest to her heart. The award system, which is aimed at artists who have ‘ardently persisted in paving their own way to artistic success, thus providing an avenue for the advancement of Korean contemporary art’, showcased the artist’s collection at the MMCA Seoul titled, Leap in the Dark, of which she says: “It refl ected how I was feeling while preparing for the exhibition. I felt as though I was digging into the canvas to bring out the images instead of applying paints on the surface of the canvas.” Similarly, her other solo exhibitions including at Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul (2006); Gallery Hyundai 16 Bungee, Seoul (2010), Space bm, Seoul (2013); A-Lounge, Seoul (2020), are all refl ective of the artist’s feelings which draw the observer into an intimate dialogue with their contradicting emotions that seem somewhere trapped in the distance between characters, brushstrokes, objects, birds or fl eeting sunsets that dim the lights of memory revealing raw and unrepressed thoughts. “I think where you are in life determines what you are moved by at the time,” Sunny explains, telling us about artists she most admires and is infl uenced by. ”I’ve always been moved by Piero della Francesca’s frescoes; Gerard ter Borch’s quiet and moving paintings; 17th century Korean painter Jeong Seon’s beautiful landscapes, to name a few.” For her, inspiration comes not only from her muses, but also from old postcards, books and fi lms. “Film in particular, as a different form of visual language, really connects with me and infl uences my art in ways I never intended,” says Sunny. Currently, the artist is working on a video comprising of footage depicting various North Korean borders, fi lmed during a trip taken years ago, as part of her latest upcoming project which will be presented in a group show at Space ISU, Seoul in December 2020, titled ‘Welcome back.’ For an artist who unintentionally brings out mixed emotions and uninhibited questions within the viewer, often unbeknownst to themselves, she is certainly one to follow closely. “I B E L I E V E M Y W O R K E N CO M P A S S E S T H E H U M A N E X P E R I E N C E A T BO T H E N DS O F A S P E C T R U M ; I T I S BO T H U N I V E R S A L A N D I N D I V I D U A L ” From left: Sunny Kim. Under the Purple Sky. 2017. Acrylic on canvas. 168x116cm; Flying Birds Mint. 2005. Acrylic on canvas. 153x163cm 110 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 HBI_048_108-111_Artist_Sunny Kim_11443534.indd 11029/11/2020 04:14:00 PMCREDIT HERE The ARTIST W ORD S B Y ODELIA MA THEW S IMA GES C OUR TES Y OF THE AR TIS T 111 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 From left: Sunny Kim. Leap in the Dark. 2017. Installation view; Waterfall. 2017. Acrylic on canvas. 168x116cm. Courtesy of the artist From left: Sunny Kim. Cold and Lovely. 2005. Acrylic on canvas. 163x153 cm; Big Flower Tree. 2019. 168x116cm HBI_048_108-111_Artist_Sunny Kim_11443534.indd 11129/11/2020 04:14:09 PM112 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 BREAKING OUT OF TH E Frame Often known as the man with the golden hand, F rench artist Mathias Kiss is on a mission to break down barriers . J ean Grogan explores his artistic universe, inspired by all facets of life Mathias Kiss. Besoin d’air. 2018. Installation at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille (France). Mirrors, painted paper on glass © David Zagdoun HBI_048_112-115_Artist_Mathias_11427090.indd 11229/11/2020 04:15:12 PM The ARTIST 113 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 F French-Hungarian Mathias Kiss was, by his own admission, an unruly child. At school, his teachers were constantly reprimanding him for talking during lessons and playing the clown to his audience of classmates. His strict father was not amused. When the school informed him that his 14-year-old son had locked the teacher out of the classroom, his father lost no time in removing him from school and enrolling him at the French craftsmanship guild association, Les Compagnons du Devoir (The Companions of Duty) to train to master a skill such as his mother’s, a master art-framer. The emblem of Les Compagnons du Devoir was a compass and sextant; it taught precision, discipline and respect in an atmosphere of extreme rectitude. “I never got to be a teenager, there were no parties, pals or girlfriends,” says Mathias. “At Les Compagnons, perfectly executed work was never praised. The attitude was: ‘It was perfect before, you have merely restored its perfection, so praise is unwarranted’.” During his apprenticeship, he learned, to perfection, From top: Mathias Kiss. Golden Snake. 2016. Installation view, exhibition view Double Je, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (France). Wood, moulded plaster, gold leaf gilding. © David Zagdoun; Sans 90 ° # 2. 2008. Wood, mirrors. Photo by David Zagdoun, and Sky painting # 1. 2008. Installation in situ Painted walls, taxidermy. / Variable dimensions. © Alexandre Guirkinger HBI_048_112-115_Artist_Mathias_11427090.indd 11329/11/2020 04:15:22 PM114 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 The ARTIST Mathias Kiss. Besoin d’ air? Triptych. 2018. Paper mosaic on canvas. 150x150cm. Maquette Sans 90 Degrés. Sculpture. 2008. Wood cardboard. 86x68x22cm. Photo by David Zagdoun the meticulous, centuries-old art of trompe-l’oeil painting, the restoration of antiques, the application of gold leaf, cutting mirrors, carving marble and wood – and making art frames. When he was fully qualifi ed, the artist restored priceless masterpieces in the Louvre, and toured France, restoring historic monuments. After 14 years, he fi nally decided to break free. He poured his pent-up artistic rage into creating immersive installations and sculptural pieces in a process he has named “Brutalist Ornamentation.” The ‘brutalisation’ of these ornamental forms means releasing them from the immobility in which they were held prisoner. With a restrained monochrome palette of gold, black, white, silver and refl ective surfaces, he uses his mastery of ‘diffi cult’ noble materials - mirror, gold leaf and marble - to free classical architectural elements from their historical context, deconstructing them as a way of questioning craftsmanship and the artist’s approach to it. His work challenges many fi xed ideas - the value of gold; the bourgeois conception of decorative objects; and crucially, the perceived chasm between the artist and the artisan. His classic frames and moulded cornices, blown out of proportion and without right angles, his trompe l’oeil landscapes, and crumpled or fragmented mirrors take on a new lease of life placed in contemporary settings. Mathias’ mirrors break free of their traditional established function. Instead of passively refl ecting the image in front of them, his mirrors are introspective, spilt into prisms, the faceted planes infi nitely scrutinising and dialoguing with themselves. His ornamental frames chase after the objects they were supposed to enclose, winding and snaking upwards. Instead of remaining horizontal, his ‘Golden Snake’ launches itself into the void, fi lling space vertically instead of delineating it. Many of his works have been exhibited in national modern art museums, including the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the TEFAF in Maastricht and the Museo Villa Dei Cedri di Bellinzona in Switzerland. In situ #3 is an installation in thousands of miniscule squares of gold leaf laid on the fl oor of the chapel of the Mobilier National in Paris. “This refers back to my time at Les Compagnons when I was restoring the gold of the French Republic, that monarchical gold that I’m now trying to desecrate! I enjoyed seeing how people interacted with the fl oor. Some tiptoed carefully around the edges not to damage it, others tramped across it, deliberately leaving a trail of footprints to mark their passage, some even purposely dragged their feet to mar the perfection - and maybe to fi nd some traces of gold on their soles of their shoes!” Besoin d’air (In Need of Air) is an installation fi rst exhibited in the atrium of the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille in 2020. An overfl owing rectangular ‘pool’ of mirrored glass is positioned directly beneath a trompe l’oeil skyscape of storm clouds, painted onto transparent plastic squares. The moody sky refl ected in the pool below results in a deeply contemplative piece. The artist has just moved into a new atelier in Paris, which is his home and workplace. He is hosting an open house until 11 February 2021 to present his work in progress. Private viewings of his work outside of this time can be arranged by appointment. mathiaskiss.com HBI_048_112-115_Artist_Mathias_11427090.indd 11429/11/2020 04:15:30 PM115 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 “ I E N J O Y E D S E E I N G H O W P E O P L E I N TE R A C T E D W I TH TH E F L O O R . S O M E T I P T O E D C A R E F U L L Y A R O U N D T H E E DGE S N O T TO D A M A GE I T , OT H E R S T R A M P E D A C R O SS I T , D E L I B E R A T E L Y L E A V I N G A T R A I L O F F O OT P R I N TS TO M A R K T H E I R P A SSA GE , SO M E E V E N P U R P O S E L Y D R A G GE D T H E I R F E ET TO M A R T H E P E R F EC T I O N ” WORDS BY JEAN GROGAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY DA VID ZAGDOUN HBI_048_112-115_Artist_Mathias_11427090.indd 11529/11/2020 04:15:39 PM116 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 The ARTIST The GALLERY AWED by An installation view of contemporary art gallery OH located in Dakar, Senegal HBI_048_116-119_Oh Gallery_11445697.indd 11626/11/2020 07:18:53 PM117 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Creating a tailor-made experience for every visitor with the address voluntarily kept confidential, Dakar-based OH Gallery is on a mission to represent the under-represented, promote cultural exchange in Senegal and celebrate art hailing from the African continent Words by Ayesha S. Shehmir HBI_048_116-119_Oh Gallery_11445697.indd 11726/11/2020 07:19:04 PM The GALLERY 118 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Based in Dakar, Senegal, contemporary art gallery OH was inaugurated two years ago with a purpose of making art accessible to as many people in Senegal and the rest of the sub-region as possible. The space is entirely dedicated to promoting creativity stemming from the African continent, extending to gastronomy and culture too. “When I created OH, I was obsessed with contributing to the structuring and development of the Senegalese market by facilitating acquisitions,” says Océane Harati, Founder and Director of OH Gallery. “As a novice, without much money, but eager to learn and acquire, I had never found a gallery to accompany me to start a collection or to explain how this environment worked. This is where the idea of OH Gallery came from.” Océane discovered a niche of consumers who represented herself: non-collectors, interested laymen, young people and especially the Senegalese community. Driven to give local artists a permanent home for their work, Océane’s main purpose has been to reward the artists the recognition they deserve. “Dakar is a recognised cultural capital, yet outside the international rendezvous that is the Biennale, none of us see these great artists exhibited in there,” she says. “It was necessary for them to have a permanent presence on the continent and be in public or private African collections. A mission that would also have repercussions on the local economy, development, increased exchanges with the sub-region, in addition to participating in the constitution of a strong national identity.” The gallery’s latest exhibition entitled Kamerun was co-curated by Mohamed A. Cissé, marking the second time Océane has invited a curator at the gallery. “Mohamed A. Cissé has a beautiful career and a great experience in the contemporary art world,” she notes of Mohamed, who was the Director of Galerie MAM in Douala for three years. “Co-curating is a diffi cult but interesting exercise, which offers many possibilities, including access to other artists, apart from those represented by the gallery, in order to expand the collections of our buyers.” Fuelled by diversity, the show featured over 80 artworks revolving around the country of Cameroon in Central Africa, uniting ten emerging and established artists from across regions. “We wanted to broaden this artistic scene in order to deliver a different vision and to dismantle the widespread clichés of a creation on the continent that is more Africanised than it is,” expresses Océane. As a young woman born and raised in Senegal, art and culture had a vast infl uence on Océane’s perspective of life and she hopes to impart the same experience on her fellow citizens. “Contemporary art has opened my mind and myself to others, sharpened my perceptions, multiplied my abilities, created new opportunities, given me choice and opened up voices that did not exist before,” she says. “But above all, it has made me independent and absolutely free. Free of everything.” Interestingly, OH Gallery’s address is voluntarily kept confi dential, operating only by appointment to ensure a privileged relationship with visitors. “This appointment format, to my great surprise, has proven to be a major tool for differentiation and in my approach to structuring the market,” says Océane. “The confi dentiality of the gallery added an aura to the place and a genuine desire.” As for many galleries, the shock of the pandemic for OH was challenging to manage initially, taking a surprising turn with time. Since then, the number of local collectors has tripled and the digital platforms have introduced a whole new clientele, broadening the audience in a way that may not have ever been possible before. “We have certainly entered the digital age and have had to compete in techniques to share our content online and on our social networks to maintain contact with our collectors abroad, but in Senegal, for my part, the need for art and culture has been real,” she says. “The pandemic has awakened something. We have become essential to maintain the link.” In an effort to promote culture in all its facets, the gallery also hosts an innovative ‘The Collectors’ Dinner’, which coincides with each exhibition, prompting artistic exchange and dialogue where the featured artist is discussed and celebrated. “Art is the food of the mind. Eating is as unifying as art. I started from this conviction to create The Collectors’ Dinner,” says Océane. “I needed my collectors to feel included in a whole. This is why, at each individual exhibition, I invite them to have dinner at the gallery, whether or not it’s a chef’s show, around the featured artist so that they can meet and exchange ideas. We are no longer in a purely commercial relationship. We are intimate, friends and share the same attachment to the artists I work with.” In almost two years, the gallery has exhibited 20 artists and presently represents eight of them. Among them are Senegalese artist Aliou Diack, who was also represented by the gallery at this year’s Abu Dhabi Art fair, Sambou Diouf, who was discovered by OH and recently signed visual artist-cum-dancer Alioune Diagne, whose work we will be exhibited in 2021. Others include Méné, Gopal Dagnogo, Hako Hankson, Patrick-Joël Tatcheda Yonkeu and Jeewi Lee. “Contemporary art has all the roles to play. Today it contributes fully to many economic sectors. Likewise, it concerns everyone, since it is a refl ection of our societies,” expresses Harati. “It is federative, a creator of social cohesion and of a national identity in constant mutation.” ohgallery.net Above: Installation views of OH Gallery. Facing page: Océane Harati, Founder and Director of OH. Photo by Moustapha Loum IMAGES COUR TESY OF OH GALLER Y HBI_048_116-119_Oh Gallery_11445697.indd 11826/11/2020 07:19:13 PMThe ARTIST “ C O N T E M P O R AR Y AR T HA S A L L T H E RO L E S T O P L A Y . T O D A Y I T C O N T R I B U T E S FUL L Y T O M A N Y E C O N O M IC SE C T OR S . L I K E W I SE , IT C O N C ER N S E V ER Y O N E , S I N C E I T I S A R E F L E C T I O N O F O U R S O C I E T I E S ” 119 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 HBI_048_116-119_Oh Gallery_11445697.indd 11926/11/2020 07:19:40 PMNext >