Words behind Form

I paint. But often, I find I can’t paint without writing. My work unfolds in a continuous cycle: painting leads to writing, and writing, in turn, draws me back into painting. Writing gives concrete form to a slice of the abstract world I seek, quieting the chaos within. Sometimes only snippets of words come out; other times I write full sentences, slowly mulling them over. In the process of creation, writing becomes both narrator and mirror, both map and afterimage.

This recurring exchange between image and language led me to a question: can an artwork be fully conveyed on its own, without words? Are words merely tools to interpret the work—or are they part of the work itself?

These questions guided me to explore the unseen dimensions of other artists’ practices. What words might be left behind, tucked into the invisible seams of their works? On the reverse side of a hard-won piece, might there be sentences remaining, like traces on a battlefield?

I believe these words are the history of each work, and a window into the artist’s inner world. As we follow an artwork, words illuminate the depths beneath its iceberg-like surface. And beneath that surface, we inevitably come face to face with the person behind the work—because behind every artwork stands a person.

This exhibition shines a spotlight on these very “words”. It brings together fragments of unspoken thoughts and overlooked traces left behind in each artist’s process, inviting viewers to wander through the space between image and language.

Curated by Eunah Hong