Wonkun Jun - Jenseits der Logik

Since approximately the beginning of the modern period in Germany, the word “Jenseits” (the “hereafter”) has been a familiar term for “another reality,” one that cannot be adequately described by the strictly scientific notion of a “state of being.”

More readily, the “hereafter” is used to refer to inaccessible, otherworldly places and, in numerous teachings, also to the inner human spirit, the soul. As a consequence, the spatial notion of the “hereafter” is either enhanced or replaced.

The term“logic” originates from the ancient Greek in the sense of a “manner of thinking” or a “course of action,” but also of a “formal discipline of argumentation” and “reasoning.”

In his second solo show at the gallery, cubus-m presents the latest works by the South Korean artist Wonkun Jun. These works present complex and multilayered color spaces, leading the viewer into“another reality.”

But is this “other reality ” actually so different; is it a place beyond logic? Wonkun’s strai ghtforward, rational approach becomes clear when one considers his way of working. This state of consciousness is particularly important to Wonkun in his creative process: “I must always be very clear and concentrated when I paint, in order to achieve a moment of distance...”

For Wokun the moment of composition is a highly considered, logical act in which he manipulates acrylic paint in an atmospherically dense way. Layers of color are applied in up to 30 thin coats, followed by a special technique for wiping the paint away, either in small areas or larger sections. (Traces of this process remain visible on the sides of the canvas.) Layer upon layer Wonkun builds up the surface of his paintings until a profoundly unique “other reality” is revealed. This particular working process generates structures and surfaces that allow a fragile materiality to appear.

Thus, Wokun’s works are also layers of thoughts and feelings, which he investigates. The works captivate us through complex compositions of color and form, through which even the small format works achieve an exciting, almost monumental effect. Fore- and background seem to dissolve within the energy of the works.

In the conceptual space created within Wokun’s formal and aesthetic concerns and the sensual and visual power of his artistic expression, his painting attains its unique quality – that which lies beyond logic.

Born in Seoul in 1970, Jun currently lives and works in Düsseldorf. Wonkun studied painting at the art academies in Seoul and Braunschweig and continued his Master's level studies at the Düsseldorf Art Academy under Helmut Federle. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and institutions both in Germany and abroad, including the Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, at the Mark Rothko Art Center in Latvia, and in Hamburg, Cologne, Switzerland, Holland, South Korea.

We are pleased to present recent works by Wonkun Jun through March 7, 2015 at cubus-m in Berlin