“Black Neon: Lines that Swallowed Charcoal” is a solo exhibition of Chungshin, an artist who is exclusively affiliated with Print Bakery, that will be held from February 25 through March 12 at Gana Busan. It will feature four large paintings done on Size 500 canvases (approx. 333x218cm) and convey the artist’s thoughts about life through four themes: Still-Life Walk, Still-Life Drawing, Still-Life Notes, and Wind Garden.
Chungshin creates lines with lumps of charcoal on a white backdrop that, despite being black, somehow have the radiance of a neon sign. “Black Neon: Lines that Swallowed Charcoal” is like our lives. Each of us, from the moment we are born, are unstable beings. The tree, which used to be alive, turns into charcoal by swallowing fire, which is meant to be representative of anxiety. We spend our lives overcoming the burning coals of anxiety that lie within us. It is hoped that visitors can, by following the charcoal lines in the paintings of this exhibition, find solace and a profound inner peace.
“Charcoal is something that was born from the merging of a green tree, which used to be a living, breathing entity, and hot flames. We too, by coming into contact with the flames of anxiety, are reborn through its heat. This is why life, regardless of its format, is always meaningful.” –Artist’s Note