DOOSAN Gallery New York is pleased to announce I Was There, a group exhibition of two Korean artists, Buhm Hong and Jonggeon Lee.

This exhibition presents two different sensations of a space that resonate within the memories of both artists, Hong and Lee; it provides viewers with an opportunity to revisit memories of their own. The artworks are in a gallery space with diverse media including a drawing, a sculpture, an installation and a video projection. They take viewers to mysterious places in which the artists present their impressions.

Both artists are inspired by a certain space that they encountered. They delicately encapsulate intimate moments within that space which reflect and affect upon their imaginations. The moment of the particular experiences of their own encompasses and overlays with each artist’s memory. Hong and Lee tell stories that deal with their fragmented memories which simultaneously overlap with those of viewers. Hong’s delicate drawing and installation allure and remind all who see them of an imaginative, secret place of childhood. A cellar with exposed pipes in an old apartment building in Manhattan transforms into a place of unique tales told by unknown creatures. His detailed and mysterious works beckon viewers into the unfamiliar experience of visiting a familiar space. On the other hand, Lee’s wood sculptures capture his experience of architectural spaces. He extracts certain elements of a space and puts them together in a very poetic way. He condenses and modifies the forms that no longer exist as their original features. His rather tranquil works evoke viewers’ personal memories and reverberate in their minds.

Buhm Hong was born in 1970 in Seoul, Korea. He received his B.F.A. from Hongik University in Seoul, Korea and M.F.A. from The School of Visual Arts in New York, USA. He has had solo exhibitions at Aando Fine Art in Berlin, Germany (2010), Total Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul (2009), and Project Space SARUBIA in Seoul Korea (2007). His work has also included in many group exhibitions including: Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul (2010), Frederiksberg Town Hall in Copenhagen (2009), Grand Palais in Paris (2009), and Westport Arts Center in Westport, CT (2006). Hong is currently lives and works in New York City, USA.

Jonggeon Lee was born in 1979 in Seoul Korea. He received both B.F.A. and M.F.A. from Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea. And he also earned his second M.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI, USA. He has had his solo exhibition at Song Eun Gallery in Seoul, Korea (2007). His work has also been exhibited at Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, NY (2010), 808 Gallery in Boston (2010), MA, Hudson D. Walker Gallery in Provincetown, MA (2010), and Changdong Art Studio of the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, Korea (2008). Lee currently lives and works in New York, USA.