Lois Lambert Gallery
May 20 - July 8, 2023
Kyong Boon Oh
Walk Slowly - Unknown Path
Methodically and repetitiously, Oh weaves together threads of wire to create forms that are intertwined in complexity and order. Using various types of metal wire, Oh constructs abstract sculptures that are suspended from the ceiling. Oh creates each piece one step at a time, seeking order but expecting chaos and dissonance. Many threads of wire inevitably tangle with one another and dictate her next move. Oh says, “my art is like mapping a brand new pathway that is unknown to me. This path exists somewhere between chaos and order and is guided by my intuition.” She views a single thread of wire as a physical pathway for the mind and uses the repetitive action of weaving wire to symbolize the continuity of time.
The act of weaving together single strands of wire is labor-intensive and forces Oh to work slowly. During this process, Oh meditates and reflects on the emotional and spiritual struggles she experiences as a first-generation American immigrant. The process of creating is just as important to Oh as the final work itself. “My art mirrors my feelings of dislocation, nostalgia, and desire for belonging. It is reflective of my effort to assimilate. I pursue intimacy with the medium to make a meditative shelter from the angst of my life experience.”