Artist uses works to showcase the challenges of living abroad
For the past decade, South Korean artist Lee Seung-koo, 46, has mostly lived in Beijing. Before that, he had studied in Germany for years.
During his time abroad, he has felt homesick but also adapted to the social norms in places where he has lived despite cultural clashes.
Lee says the experiences make him believe that life is about making compromises, but not forgetting to be free and genuine.
Based on his feelings, Lee has created a dog character, a white bull terrier called Ddinggu. It recurs in his sculptures, installations and acrylic paintings.
Lee says Ddinggu is like an incarnation of himself and every adult.
And despite its aggressive appearance, the small dog embodies the child-like innocence and mischievous temple perament one is forced to leave behind while growing up.
These artworks featuring Ddinggu are on show at Lee’s solo exhibition, Oops!, at Beijing’s Parkview Green Art gallery.
In the fairy-tale world Lee builds for Ddinggu, the dog is seen, mouth wide open and tongue sticking out, laughing, rolling on the ground and playing practical jokes.
Lee says the name Ddinggu comes from his childhood nickname. And the idea for the dog came from his experiences in China.
He says people in South Korea no longer call a child by his nickname once he starts school, but this does not apply to his Chinese parents-in-law, who still call their daughter and grandson by their childhood nicknames.
“It (the use of the names) is nice, because a childhood nickname always reminds one of that happy, carefree time and the intimate relationship with the parents.”
The exhibition includes Lee’s latest sculpture series, Superheroes, in which Ddinggu impersonates comic-book characters such as Superman, Captain America and the Hulk, the muscular, greenskinned humanoid in blue shorts.
He says the way Ddinggu takes on superhero roles is like people entering adulthood and being as mature as they are expected to be.
“Oops, you are no longer a child. Oops, you get married, have children and are the master of a household. These changes happen all of a sudden,” says Lee.
“Without realizing it, you are pushed to be a superhero at home and in the workplace.”
But Ddinggu doesn’t change, says Lee, and so peo- should be true to themselves.
“It is your belief in a life of liberty and hope, which may sound naive, that will release you from the mounting pressure of survival.”
Meanwhile, Lee recently began exploring motifs other than Ddinggu.
His Compromise series, which is also on display, for instance, reflects his courage to embrace a life abroad, says Gary Mok, the exhibition’s co-curator.
One installation from the series is a revolving pistol that shoots bright balloons rather than bullets.
The handgun represents the difficulties Lee copes with, such as the recent relocation of his studio.
The burst of balloons indicates his acceptance of the changes and an optimistic attitude.
Lee makes compromises in life, says Mok, but he doesn’t recoil from challenges.