"We Love Korea," Whitestone Gallery Seoul's inaugural group exhibition, is a warm greeting from the gallery to its new audience in Korea. The exhibition, which starts on September 3rd, will be held at the gallery's Seoul branch, housed in a building which features the unique design sense of famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Utilizing the entire gallery, including three major exhibition rooms and a rooftop, the exhibition continues until October 15th.

Whitestone Gallery Seoul ©Kengo Kuma and Associates

The main exhibition hall located on the B1 floor is the first Korean exhibition by Japanese artist, Miwa Komatsu. The exhibition will introduce the artist's spiritual world of art through various works. Born in Nagano-prefecture, Japan in 1984, Komatsu is well known for expressing images of animals and myths of Eastern tradition with intense, rhythmic textures. The exhibition will present various styles of works, including large-scale installations and Arita ceramics, which are produced under the credo of "The Great Harmonization," in which all living things acknowledge each other and aim for a harmonious life.

Artist Miwa Komatsu ©Komatsu Miwa Studio

Miwa Komatsu

In the second exhibition hall on the second floor, a wide range of artists will be exhibited, focusing on Japanese post-war postmodern and avant-garde art selected by Whitestone Gallery. Whitestone has actively introduced post-war Japanese artists and mainly the Gutai Art Association. The Gutai Art Association, which reached its peak in the early 1960s, was a group of avant-garde artists who used the motto of leader Jiro Yoshihara, "Don't imitate others, and create something that has never existed before." It was a gathering of avant-garde artists who practiced art using the production, performance, and environment of works that broke the notion of traditional art. "We Love Korea" will showcase an array of Gutai artworks, ranging from works by Jiro Yoshihara to expressive and colorful works by Atsuko Tanaka and Kazuo Shiraga.

In addition to the works of Gutai artists, Whitestone will also present major works by Japanese post-war artists who experimented with innovative methods and materials, such as Mono-ha, who were active in Japan in the 1960s. Also, works by Jiro Takamatsu, Genpei Akasegawa, and Natsuyuki Nakanishi of the Hi-Red Center, an artist collective active in Japan in the 1960s and engaged in experimental happenings and avant-garde activities with artists such as Nam June-Paik, will be displayed.

Near the stairs leading to the rooftop garden and the outdoor space overlooking the city of Seoul, visitors will be able to see moon jar sculptures by Korean ceramic artist Wondong Shin. Shin combines traditional Korean ceramic techniques and modern aesthetic sensibilities and installs moon jars with organic silhouettes and muted-colors that blend seamlessly with the garden setting.

"We Love Korea" was prepared to introduce Whitestone to Korean audiences in earnest and to show the beginning of a deep relationship between the gallery and Korea.