By producing this work in an edition of 120 copies, Mun-gi Yang questions not only the object itself but also the notion of luxury. To own or to share, as immutable as it is fragile, this work stimulates both our gaze and our imagination—so chic… so rock.
Raw stones from the depths of nature, polished stones revealing their most precious forms. Gentle curves or rugged surfaces— a dual identity born from the depths of time. A primitive and immortal material, stone stands as the essence of our earth and of human evolution.
Opening reception: Thursday, November 22, 2018, 6 pm
Exhibition: November 22 - January 5
Raw stones from the depths of nature, polished stones revealing their most precious forms. Gentle curves or rugged surfaces— a dual identity born from the depths of time. A primitive and immortal material, stone stands as the essence of our earth and of human evolution.
As the foundation of civilization, stone is the primary material of construction that marked the height of great civilizations. For the Korean artist Mun-gi-Yang, the cosmological dimension of this material is transformed by the sculptor's hand. Explored in various forms, it confronts our gaze and acquires new meaning. Shaped into the form of bags, smoothed and engraved like jewels, it becomes an object of identity construction. For him, the bag and more specifically the handbag, allows its owner to construct an image that helps express identity, both through what it contains and through its outward appearance.
Through this work centered on the bag, Mun-gi-Yang simultaneously questions our relationship to culture (through bags engraved with Korean characters) and to luxury, as seen in his series where the logos of major brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel become symbols— true international linguistic signs whose mere visual presence immerses us in a fantasized world.
Mun-gi-Yang also explores history and our relationship with time. From luxury handbags carved in stone to prehistoric bags, he imbues humanity's place in time with a sense of eternity. Whether modern or ancient, rustiv ot finely sculpted, his work fascinates as much as it surprises.
His work Chic Rocks perfectly embodies this relationship to time, offering a humorous nod to humanity's relationship with objects.
Stone, rope, and wood— three materials as natural as they are essential to the evolution of human existence are here transformed into a bag, a true bundle in which the sense of belonging and existence of each individual is concentrated. The primitive connection to nature and the "prehistoric" form of the object are nevertheless disrupted by the engraved motifs on its surface. Imprinted like seals, these lyrical emblems, symbols of a consumer aesthetic that has become universal, transport us into the world of chic and fashion.
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