Memories, preservation and the language of communication is the key idea in Son’s works and he thrives to express the importance preservation in his own way through his artworks. In 2002, Son Il visited The Gansong Art Museum (Seoul, South Korea) and saw the original Hunminjeongeum (Hangeul, the Korean alphabet) . Touched with a myriad of emotions, he was sad about these original Hunminjeongeum woodblocks that were destroyed during the Korean War, and he was determined to bring such precious cultural heritage them back to life.
The most obvious feature in Son’s style is his openess towards the use of different materials, techniques and forms, which later brought about a progressive change to producing relief paintings by using briquette ash, along with repeated ‘trial and error’ with the adoption of Hanji (Korean traditional paper)and mulberry paper, terra cotta, ceramics, rice straws and other mixed-media forms. Through years of experimenting, Son developed diverse de-genre and convergent methodologies by combining figurativeness & abstraction, sculptures & paintings and paintings & ceramics.
As a painter, Son has reached beyond the point of pursuing the essence of objects of simply copying the externality, playing the roles of a phenomenologist and a philosopher, exploring in-depth not only the concept but also application of art. In the case of mulberry paper, its fibre must be thoroughly studied to identify its specific properties. Since then, he has directed his artistic trajectory towards manifesting the natural colours of mulberry paper fibre as much as he can with a focus on exuding its rich material properties in various angles and using a wide spectrum of colours including pink, green, yellow and blue.
Recently, Son produced a work imbuing a strong impression with its 10cm-high relief protrusive at the bottom of the panel. This hints at his experimental aspect, which is in line with his dramatic experimentation with materials as seen from his briquette ash-based relief work. The use of mulberry paper fibre are confined to delicately revealing its properties: they are entangled on a single field of a canvas by aligning with the formative characteristics of Hangeul’s consonants and vowels.His achievement of aesthetic perspectives towards mulberry paper thrives in his larger works, and it was then his monochrome mulberry paper relief paintings exerted signs of a full blossom. He focuses on producing these works in mostly monochromes white, grey, blue and red.
Diverse forms of signs and signifiers including Hangeul’s consonants and vowels are apparent on the panes, also with English alphabets and emojis, a contemporary means used online for the communication of the mankind as symbols.
The cultural signs adopted in Son’s works hint at the fact that a culture should not be isolated as a topical phenomenon anymore. This has a huge significance in promoting the Korean culture to the world through formative art of Hangeul as he was taken aback by encountering Hunminjeongeum decades ago. All in all, Son Il is committed to turn Hangeul’s consonants and vowels into art through his unique formative methodologies, thus promoting the excellence of Hangeul to the world.
Son IL Featured Artworks in Fine Art Asia
The Day and Night
Thread resin on panel 235x20x200cm,2021
The Day and Night (side image)
The Day and Night (side image)
Unsent Letter 1501
Korean paper on panel 90x90cm2015
Unsent Letter 1503
Korean paper on panel 70x70cm 2015
Unsent Letter 1703
Korean paper on panel 40x80cm,2017
LOVE 0190538
Thread resin on canvas 60x90cm 2019
LOVE 0190537
Thread resin on canvas 60x90cm,2019
LOVE 01803
Thread resin on canvas 50x50cm,2018
About Son, IL
Son Il graduated Department of Fine Arts, college of Arts, Dong-A University. School of Art Education Dong-A University Completed doctor course in Fine Arts.
Solo Exhibition (selected)
2019 Invitation Exhibition, Gallery Jeeum, Seoul
2017 Invitation Exhibition, Galerie NOEJ Paris, France
2015 Invitation Exhibition, WOW ART SPACE. Beijing
2012 Invitation Exhibition, Tang Art Gallery. Bangkok
2006 Invitation Exhibition, Liu Hi Sou Art Museum. Shanghai
2005 Invitation Exhibition, Asia Art Museum. JAPAN Invitation Exhibition, White Gallery. L.A. USA
2003 Invitational Exhibition, Road Gallery. New York. USA1999 Solo Exhibition, Jeon, Gyeong Sook Gallery. Busan
Art Fair (selected)
2020 Art Wynwood
2019 Venice Art Biennale
2018-2019 Art Miami
2016 L.A Art Show (U.S.A, L.A)
2015-2014 Art Stage Singapore (Singapore, Marina Bay Sands )
2015-2012 Art Paris Art Fair (France, Grand Palais)
2014-2012 Scope MIAMI (U.S.A, Miami)
2014 Scope Basel (Switzerland, Basel)
2013-2009 SOAF Seoul Open Art Fair (Seoul, COEX)
2010 SOGO International Art Fair (China, Beijing)
Awards
2009 ‘1st Prize’ and three selections, Korea Art Competition / Korea Art Association
2009 Today’s Artist / Busan Art Association
2000 ‘1st Prize’ and four selections, Busan Art Competition / Busan Art Association
1997 ‘Best Prize’ Buil Art Competition / Busan Ilbo
