Ran Hwang

At first glance, simplicity may seem to define Korean artist Ran Hwang's work, but simplicity is merely a thin veil over an intricate and thoughtful process resulting in an alluring and seductive body of work. Hwang uses buttons, or threads, with pins to produce provocative images of vessels, of birds, and of the Buddha both as installations and as objects on their own. Her practice speaks to the meditative nature that a repetitive process inspires where the experience of the work cannot be separated from its materiality and how it is made. In her most recent series, Hwang reflects on the nature of the vessel. As she explains, “Containers can be empty or serve to contain something. Like our bodies, they can be filled or emptied.” Her works can be seen as a contemplation of impermanence and mortality. The strength of Hwang’s work is in its process and the resulting immediacy and resonance with the viewer.