Solo Exhibitions (Brief)

Seo Jaewoong's exhibitions include 《Between Us》 (Space Willing N Dealing, Seoul, 2024), 《Firemakers》 (Space Willing N Dealing, Seoul, 2022), 《Clouds Without Coordinates》 (Gallery MEME, Seoul, 2018), and 《I went forward and backward and back and forth aimlessly》 (Alternative Space Noon, Suwon, 2015).

Group Exhibitions (Brief)

Seo has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the Daejeon Science and Art Biennale Spin-off 《Magnum Opus》 (Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, 2024), 《Heavy Middle Light》 (Caption, Seoul, 2024), Changwon Sculpture Biennale Prologue Exhibition 《Speaking about the future: Shape, map, tree》 (Seongsan Art Hall, Changwon, 2023), 《Our Week》 (Process IJW, Seoul, 2023), 《Publishing as Method (Lighting Band)》 (Artsonje Center, Seoul, 2020), and more.

Originality & Identity

Seo Jaewoong is an artist who explores the organic interconnectedness and cyclical order among all beings within the ecosystem. In his early practice, he perceived the world as chaotic and random, expressing this worldview through oil-based painting. However, a philosophical turning point came in 2018 when he encountered the cosmology of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.

Through this Eastern worldview, Seo interprets the natural order and the reciprocal cycles between humans and non-human beings, approaching environmental issues not merely as social topics but as ontological questions. In the exhibition 《Firemakers》(2022, Space Willing N Dealing), he uses the motif of artificial “fire” to examine how modern civilization’s energy systems are entangled with the climate crisis. Seo views the human being not as a singular species, but as one unit within the biosphere and the long temporal flow of the Earth.

Works such as Australopithecus afarensis(2024) and Ardipithecus ramidus(2024), presented in 《Between Us》(2024, Space Willing N Dealing), depict prehistoric lifeforms intertwined with human figures, connecting the origin of humankind with ecological temporality. Through such ontological investigations, Seo emphasizes that the climate crisis and technological civilization are not isolated phenomena but part of a prolonged, cyclical dynamic within the Earth's systems.

Style & Contents

Seo Jaewoong’s artistic journey began with painting and later expanded into sculpture, further evolving into a multidisciplinary practice incorporating drawing and installation. He consistently adheres to eco-conscious and upcycled approaches to material use.

Works like Water Deer(2020) and The Blacksmith(2022) are composed of discarded wood fragments, old furniture parts, tabletop panels, and Go boards, minimally processed and reassembled into sculptural forms. This material philosophy reflects his commitment to living in harmony with nature, as informed by the cosmology of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Notably, God of Thunder(2022) metaphorically links the mythic origins of lightning to the modern energy systems of electricity production, representing a convergence of mythology and technology.

Thematically, Seo's work centers on the historical and ontological dimensions of climate and ecology, engaging with narratives of myth, technology, energy, and the human condition. In 《Between Us》, he presented the sculpture Australopithecus afarensis, incorporating both fossilized materials and 99.99% pure single-crystal silicon.

This juxtaposition of ancient and futuristic substances within a single sculptural language symbolically connects past lifeforms with present-day technological civilization through the medium of the "eye." In doing so, Seo moves beyond environmental messaging to articulate intersections between science, philosophy, and aesthetics.

Topography & Continuity

Seo Jaewoong’s work has consistently centered on the structural concept of “cycle” and a practical reverence for nature. Formally, he continues to prioritize hand-crafted sculpture and drawing while reusing materials as an integral part of his methodology.

Thematically, his practice critiques anthropocentric epistemologies and proposes a return to harmonious coexistence with the natural world. This approach is evident in his engagement with the history of human attempts to understand nature—from shamanism and animism to natural philosophy and contemporary science.

Grounded in an ecological imagination that bridges the micro and macro, Seo positions himself as an artist exploring the potential for sustainable sculpture within contemporary art. His recent works expand this practice by combining the physicality of sculpture with technological materials such as single-crystal silicon and mythological narratives. This shift reflects his intent to extend Eastern philosophical thought while actively engaging with global artistic discourse.