Trace of Light
장영은 개인전
빛은 단순한 물리 현상을 넘어 만물이 존재하고 생명을 이어가게 하는 근원이다. 작가에게 ‘빛’은 영감의
원천이자 정신적·감각적 탐구의 대상이 되어 왔다. 빛과 자연을 탐구하는 작가는 한국화가인 어머니의
영향으로 다양한 예술을 접하며 성장했고, 수묵화의 물성에 매료되어 동양화를 전공했다. 서울에서 태어나
줄곧 도시에서 나고 자랐으나, 유년기에 겪은 상실을 통해 인간 또한 자연 속에서 태어나 다시 자연으로
돌아가는 존재임을 자각하게 되면서, ‘자연’은 삶의 뿌리이자 안식처로 자리 잡았다.
작업의 중심에는 수묵 화면 위에 바느질을 중첩하는 방식이 자리하고 있다. 이는 시를 읽을 때 느껴지는
운율감처럼 생동하는 대상을 시각화하기 위한 탐구로, 2016년부터 이어 온 작업이다. 전통 발묵의 형식을
기반으로 수묵의 농담과 번짐이 만들어 내는 층위 위에 은빛의 점·선·면을 더하며, 동시대 한국화를 확장하는
새로운 조형 언어를 구축해 온 것이다. 바느질은 흐르는 시간을 붙잡아 고정하는 행위이며, 이를 통해
평면 회화의 한계를 확장하고 감각적 지각을 동반하는 촉각적 회화로 발전시켜 왔다. 현재 작업은
다음의 두 가지 방법론을 병렬적으로 전개한다.
하나는 빛과 자연을 관찰하며 발묵을 기반으로 화면을 구성하고 바느질을 중첩하는 방식으로, 〈Pulse〉 (2016~),
〈Eternally Blue〉(2019~), 〈Anthology〉(2021~), 〈Light, Breath, Trace〉(2024~)로 이어지며
심화되어온 축이다. 다른 하나는 환경의 조건과 채집한 자연물을 엮어 도구로 수용하는 작업으로, 최근의
〈Trace of Trace〉(2025~)에서 전개된다. 이 방식에서는 작가의 통제를 최소화하고 빛과 바람, 습도와 같은
비가시적 요소를 화면 형성의 조건으로 받아들이며, 회화를 결과가 아닌 시간과 조건으로 기록한다.
《Trace of Light》는 시시각각 변화하는 빛과 자연을 관조하며 한국화의 물성을 탐구해 온 시간을 따라
형성되고 축적된 작업의 과정을 되짚어보는 자리이다. 작가는 이미지와 매체가 빠르게 소비되는 동시대의
흐름 속에서 잠시 멈추어 숨을 고르고, 빛의 흔적을 따라가는 시간을 제안한다.
작가는 전통 수묵의 물성과 사유를 기반으로, 회화와 설치를 넘나드는 확장된 형식 속에서 동시대적 한국
화의 가능성을 모색한다. 이는 묵향이 가까운 환경에서 체득된 감각을 바탕으로, 자신이 표현하고자 하는
세계와 가장 밀접하게 맞닿은 매체로써 수묵을 선택해 온 태도와 맞닿아 있다.
- 장영은 작가 전시 서문 中
Trace of Light, a solo exhibition by Young Eun Jang, is presented at CN Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, with the support of Chungcheongnam-do Province and the Chungnam Foundation of Arts and Culture. Bringing together recent works and archival materials, the exhibition offers an overview of the artist’s evolving practice and its continued expansion over time.
For the artist, light is more than a physical phenomenon; it is the fundamental force that enables all existence and sustains life. As both a source of inspiration and a subject of sensory and contemplative inquiry, light has remained central to her artistic practice. Influenced by her mother, a Korean painter, Jang was exposed to diverse artistic experiences from an early age and later pursued Korean painting, drawn to the material qualities of ink. Although born and raised in Seoul, her experience of loss during childhood led her to recognize that human beings, like all living things, emerge from and ultimately return to nature. Since then, nature has become both the foundation of life and a place of refuge within her artistic world.
At the core of Jang’s practice is the layering of hand-sewn stitching onto ink paintings, a method she has developed since 2016. Seeking to visualize the rhythm and vitality she experiences when reading poetry, she builds upon the traditional technique ofbalmuk(the diffusion of ink) and overlays shimmering points, lines, and planes of silver thread onto the tonal gradations and stains created by ink. Through this process, she has established a distinctive visual language that expands the possibilities of contemporary Korean painting. Sewing functions as an act of holding and fixing the passage of time, extending the boundaries of two-dimensional painting into a tactile form of image-making that engages sensory perception. Her current practice unfolds through two parallel methodologies.
The first involves observing light and nature, constructing compositions throughbalmuk, and layering them with stitching. This approach has developed through a series of bodies of work, includingPulse(2016–),Eternally Blue(2019–),Anthology(2021–), andLight, Breath, Trace(2024–). The second methodology incorporates environmental conditions and collected natural materials as artistic tools, a process most recently explored inTrace of Trace(2025–). In these works, the artist minimizes direct control and embraces invisible elements such as light, wind, humidity, and atmospheric conditions as active agents in the formation of the image. Painting is thus understood not as a fixed result, but as a record of time, circumstance, and natural processes.
The first floor features works from theLight, Breath, Traceseries (2024–2025). Drawing upon motifs such as leaf veins, tree bark, rainfall, ripples, foam, and the shimmering reflections of sunlight on water, these paintings capture living traces of light through the interaction of ink and silver thread. Individually distinct yet interconnected, the works expand across the gallery like a panoramic landscape, visualizing the accumulation and flow of time while forming evocative, poetic scenes. Archival materials—including tools, pigments, and sketchbooks used throughout the artist’s practice—are presented alongside the works, offering insight into the artistic world she has cultivated over the past decade.
The second floor presents experimental works fromTrace of Trace(2025–2026), an installation-based exploration of ink painting. Embracing the inherent properties of ink—its absorption, diffusion, and interaction with environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and air currents—these works actively incorporate chance and natural processes. Through this approach, the paintings extend beyond the picture plane and become sensory experiences situated within space.
On the third floor, visitors encounterPulse(2018), one of the artist’s earliest major series. Rooted in sensory impressions and inspirations drawn from the natural landscapes of Chungnam, these works form the conceptual and aesthetic foundation from which her subsequent practice has developed. Also on view are handmade tools created from natural materials gathered during the artist’s research process, collected with care to avoid damaging their surrounding environments.
Trace of Lightinvites viewers to retrace the formation and accumulation of a practice shaped through sustained contemplation of light and nature, while exploring the material possibilities of Korean painting. In an age when images and media are rapidly produced and consumed, the exhibition offers an opportunity to pause, take a breath, and follow the lingering traces of light.
Grounded in the materiality and philosophy of traditional ink painting, Jang seeks to expand the possibilities of contemporary Korean painting through works that move fluidly between painting and installation. This approach reflects a lifelong familiarity with the world of ink and brush, as well as her enduring commitment to ink as the medium most capable of articulating the world she seeks to express.
– Excerpt from the exhibition text, Young Eun Jang Exhibition: Trace of Light
장영은 JANG YOUNG EUN
Trace of Light
장영은 개인전
빛은 단순한 물리 현상을 넘어 만물이 존재하고 생명을 이어가게 하는 근원이다. 작가에게 ‘빛’은 영감의
원천이자 정신적·감각적 탐구의 대상이 되어 왔다. 빛과 자연을 탐구하는 작가는 한국화가인 어머니의
영향으로 다양한 예술을 접하며 성장했고, 수묵화의 물성에 매료되어 동양화를 전공했다. 서울에서 태어나
줄곧 도시에서 나고 자랐으나, 유년기에 겪은 상실을 통해 인간 또한 자연 속에서 태어나 다시 자연으로
돌아가는 존재임을 자각하게 되면서, ‘자연’은 삶의 뿌리이자 안식처로 자리 잡았다.
작업의 중심에는 수묵 화면 위에 바느질을 중첩하는 방식이 자리하고 있다. 이는 시를 읽을 때 느껴지는
운율감처럼 생동하는 대상을 시각화하기 위한 탐구로, 2016년부터 이어 온 작업이다. 전통 발묵의 형식을
기반으로 수묵의 농담과 번짐이 만들어 내는 층위 위에 은빛의 점·선·면을 더하며, 동시대 한국화를 확장하는
새로운 조형 언어를 구축해 온 것이다. 바느질은 흐르는 시간을 붙잡아 고정하는 행위이며, 이를 통해
평면 회화의 한계를 확장하고 감각적 지각을 동반하는 촉각적 회화로 발전시켜 왔다. 현재 작업은
다음의 두 가지 방법론을 병렬적으로 전개한다.
하나는 빛과 자연을 관찰하며 발묵을 기반으로 화면을 구성하고 바느질을 중첩하는 방식으로, 〈Pulse〉 (2016~),
〈Eternally Blue〉(2019~), 〈Anthology〉(2021~), 〈Light, Breath, Trace〉(2024~)로 이어지며
심화되어온 축이다. 다른 하나는 환경의 조건과 채집한 자연물을 엮어 도구로 수용하는 작업으로, 최근의
〈Trace of Trace〉(2025~)에서 전개된다. 이 방식에서는 작가의 통제를 최소화하고 빛과 바람, 습도와 같은
비가시적 요소를 화면 형성의 조건으로 받아들이며, 회화를 결과가 아닌 시간과 조건으로 기록한다.
《Trace of Light》는 시시각각 변화하는 빛과 자연을 관조하며 한국화의 물성을 탐구해 온 시간을 따라
형성되고 축적된 작업의 과정을 되짚어보는 자리이다. 작가는 이미지와 매체가 빠르게 소비되는 동시대의
흐름 속에서 잠시 멈추어 숨을 고르고, 빛의 흔적을 따라가는 시간을 제안한다.
작가는 전통 수묵의 물성과 사유를 기반으로, 회화와 설치를 넘나드는 확장된 형식 속에서 동시대적 한국
화의 가능성을 모색한다. 이는 묵향이 가까운 환경에서 체득된 감각을 바탕으로, 자신이 표현하고자 하는
세계와 가장 밀접하게 맞닿은 매체로써 수묵을 선택해 온 태도와 맞닿아 있다.
- 장영은 작가 전시 서문 中
Trace of Light, a solo exhibition by Young Eun Jang, is presented at CN Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, with the support of Chungcheongnam-do Province and the Chungnam Foundation of Arts and Culture. Bringing together recent works and archival materials, the exhibition offers an overview of the artist’s evolving practice and its continued expansion over time.
For the artist, light is more than a physical phenomenon; it is the fundamental force that enables all existence and sustains life. As both a source of inspiration and a subject of sensory and contemplative inquiry, light has remained central to her artistic practice. Influenced by her mother, a Korean painter, Jang was exposed to diverse artistic experiences from an early age and later pursued Korean painting, drawn to the material qualities of ink. Although born and raised in Seoul, her experience of loss during childhood led her to recognize that human beings, like all living things, emerge from and ultimately return to nature. Since then, nature has become both the foundation of life and a place of refuge within her artistic world.
At the core of Jang’s practice is the layering of hand-sewn stitching onto ink paintings, a method she has developed since 2016. Seeking to visualize the rhythm and vitality she experiences when reading poetry, she builds upon the traditional technique ofbalmuk(the diffusion of ink) and overlays shimmering points, lines, and planes of silver thread onto the tonal gradations and stains created by ink. Through this process, she has established a distinctive visual language that expands the possibilities of contemporary Korean painting. Sewing functions as an act of holding and fixing the passage of time, extending the boundaries of two-dimensional painting into a tactile form of image-making that engages sensory perception. Her current practice unfolds through two parallel methodologies.
The first involves observing light and nature, constructing compositions throughbalmuk, and layering them with stitching. This approach has developed through a series of bodies of work, includingPulse(2016–),Eternally Blue(2019–),Anthology(2021–), andLight, Breath, Trace(2024–). The second methodology incorporates environmental conditions and collected natural materials as artistic tools, a process most recently explored inTrace of Trace(2025–). In these works, the artist minimizes direct control and embraces invisible elements such as light, wind, humidity, and atmospheric conditions as active agents in the formation of the image. Painting is thus understood not as a fixed result, but as a record of time, circumstance, and natural processes.
The first floor features works from theLight, Breath, Traceseries (2024–2025). Drawing upon motifs such as leaf veins, tree bark, rainfall, ripples, foam, and the shimmering reflections of sunlight on water, these paintings capture living traces of light through the interaction of ink and silver thread. Individually distinct yet interconnected, the works expand across the gallery like a panoramic landscape, visualizing the accumulation and flow of time while forming evocative, poetic scenes. Archival materials—including tools, pigments, and sketchbooks used throughout the artist’s practice—are presented alongside the works, offering insight into the artistic world she has cultivated over the past decade.
The second floor presents experimental works fromTrace of Trace(2025–2026), an installation-based exploration of ink painting. Embracing the inherent properties of ink—its absorption, diffusion, and interaction with environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and air currents—these works actively incorporate chance and natural processes. Through this approach, the paintings extend beyond the picture plane and become sensory experiences situated within space.
On the third floor, visitors encounterPulse(2018), one of the artist’s earliest major series. Rooted in sensory impressions and inspirations drawn from the natural landscapes of Chungnam, these works form the conceptual and aesthetic foundation from which her subsequent practice has developed. Also on view are handmade tools created from natural materials gathered during the artist’s research process, collected with care to avoid damaging their surrounding environments.
Trace of Lightinvites viewers to retrace the formation and accumulation of a practice shaped through sustained contemplation of light and nature, while exploring the material possibilities of Korean painting. In an age when images and media are rapidly produced and consumed, the exhibition offers an opportunity to pause, take a breath, and follow the lingering traces of light.
Grounded in the materiality and philosophy of traditional ink painting, Jang seeks to expand the possibilities of contemporary Korean painting through works that move fluidly between painting and installation. This approach reflects a lifelong familiarity with the world of ink and brush, as well as her enduring commitment to ink as the medium most capable of articulating the world she seeks to express.
– Excerpt from the exhibition text, Young Eun Jang Exhibition: Trace of Light
장영은 JANG YOUNG EUN