Jungwoo Hong solo exhibition
「こころのかけら Fragments of Mind」
Jungwoo Hong’s paintings are rooted in memories of personal experience and emotion. Inspired by the graffiti-covered walls of his childhood neighborhood, he developed a unique pictorial language of layering, scraping, and reapplying paint. His surfaces accumulate traces of time, revealing a sensitive “stratigraphy of memory.” Without setting themes or plans in advance, Hong allows his inner emotions to unfold naturally on the canvas, bringing forth symbols and images as fragments rising from the depth of memory.
There is a poetic optimism in Hong’s approach to creation. Even in the face of tragedy and uncertainty, he seeks out moments of light. The film Life is Beautiful had a lasting impact on him—where harsh realities are transformed into play through love and humor. In a similar way, Hong reorganizes fragments of memory, emotion, and hope into visual poetics. His seemingly childlike yet profound imagery becomes a visual manifestation of “reclaimed time.”
This shift in perspective is also visible in his increasing use of lines and arrows—signs of structure and direction—indicating a transition from pure emotional expression toward narrative composition. His works are no longer merely personal, but connect with others, with time, and with the broader world. Past and future, the eyes of the child and the adult, converge in a visual journey across time.
The subtle difference between “Mind” as imagined in Western psychology and “Kokoro(こころ)” in Eastern philosophy reflects the tension in Hong’s own conceptual and sensory landscape. The exhibition “こころのかけら Fragments of Mind” draws inspiration from the contrast in his works between inner beauty and a backdrop of harsh realities. In the face of this cruelty, moments of beauty shine like stars—fragile like glass, yet radiant. These luminous shards, delicate yet resilient, form the unique emotional cosmos of Hong’s art.
▼Artist
Jungwoo Hong (https://www.instagram.com/jungwoohong_art/)
▼Exhibition Information
【Date】2025/5/3(Sat) – 5/24(Sat)
【Open】12:00 – 19:00
【Close】Sunday and Monday
【Location】TERRADA ART COMPLEX II 3F, 1-32-8 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0002