One and J. Gallery, presents the group exhibition Acquainted with the Night, featuring three Korean artists - Dongwook Suh, Ahnnlee Lee, and Yoonhee Choi. This exhibition metaphorically explores the darkness of loneliness, alienation, and other aspects of human fate, likening it to the night, and depicts the lives of all of us who live in companionship with the night. The three artists present a diverse range of expressions stemming from their inner nights through portraits, figurative paintings (Dongwook Suh), abstract paintings (Yoonhee Choi), installations, and sculptures (Ahnnlee Lee). Dongwook Suh, who explores figurative paintings originating from empathy towards humans, portrays the hidden dark inner selves of modern individuals, including loneliness, through cinematic composition on pictorial screens. Yoonhee Choi sensually captures deep emotions that ripple within her inner self, visually expressing, centred around her own body. Ahnnlee Lee tells about this visual interpretation of the tranquil moments of small existence through his poem ‘Alchemy’ (2019). Alongside the poem, two installation works harmoniously occupy the space between the paintings of the two artists imbuing vitality in the new time and space. The exhibition’s title, shares its name with a poem by Robert Frost (1874-1963, USA) published in 1928. Over time, the speaker of the poem becomes familiar and acquainted with the metaphorical darkness associated with the night. Despite being written a century ago in a different context, the speaker’s situation still resonates with us today. Both the speaker from the analogue era and us, residing in the digital age, share an acquaintance with the night. Facing solitude and darkness is an inevitable human fate. As our connections and relationships with the outside world are increasingly mediated by numerous forms of media, the sense of loneliness and alienation among modern individuals can paradoxically grow stronger. The night holds diverse interpretations tied to our emotions and circumstances, often seen as melancholic and solitary, yet it also provides a space-time for profound contemplation. In the pitch-dark night illuminated by distant moonlight, we calmly contemplate our existence, relying on the faint light within the darkness. Through night of solitary wandering in the rain or nights devoid of attention, we repeatedly encounter and acquaint ourselves with these unexpected visitors in our lives. In the exhibition “Acquainted with the Night”, we invite you to encounter the “light” of the three artists who unravel the nights they have personally encountered.
