Myoungjae Son
A contemporary artist who engages with the theme of confinement, capturing vulnerable human emotions through sculpture and installation
My practice focuses on creating a physical environment that evokes fear and anxiety, encouraging the viewer to feel both physically and emotionally trapped. Through my abstract sculptures, I explore the oppositions of internal and external and of attraction and repulsion to convey the emotional tension and instinctual desire to escape experienced by individuals in states of entrapment.
Although I incorporate various materials such as flock and melted plastic to create texture, insulation tape and chicken wire are the primary components of my practice. Often used as protective barriers against threats such as fire or wild animals, these materials carry inherently restrictive qualities that emphasise the lack of freedom symbolised by the sculptures.
Their forms, inspired by stalagmites and other geological formations, further reinforce the theme of confinement. The abstract structures appear to rise from the earth, reaching upwards in a struggle to emerge, yet remain bound by the very forces that shape them. The works reflect an internal drive to transcend, contrasted with an external assertion of control that restricts the movement of others within the shared space.
The blurred distinction between subject and object, as demonstrated by the sculptures, closely aligns with Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection. Abjection refers to the experience of disgust or repulsion triggered by bodily encounters that threaten to undermine established understandings of identity and meaning.
In my practice, the colour black not only unifies the sculptures of varying sizes and textures but also acts as a visual metaphor for unwanted invasion. The ominous black forms encroaching upon the installation space are intended to be visually oppressive, captivating the viewer. However, this initial attraction evolves into repulsion as the invasion evokes a sense of instability and danger.
My large-scale sculptures transform the exhibition space into a maze that elicits feelings of claustrophobia. As the viewer navigates cautiously to avoid the web of black tape and obstacles in the darkness, their awareness of movement and surroundings becomes heightened.
Spotlights cast linear shadows across the installation, creating the illusion of more tape strips than are physically present. A soundscape of sporadic whispers and echoing footsteps suggests the unsettling presence of another figure trapped within the dark space. Through the exploration of sensory cues, the installation disorients the viewer, amplifying the emotional distress caused by the confined space.
I aim to articulate the experience of abjection by immersing the viewer in a multisensory environment designed to provoke fear. The exhibition space establishes conditions of physical and psychological confinement, which invite reflection on the fragile boundaries that define identity.
