The work of Korean artist Young-Deok Seo is currently at the M.A.D.Gallery, where he reveals the complexities of the human body by way of his captivating sculptures. Young-Deok has created an impressive collection of work based on a meticulous and complex process that consists of welding chains together to create human forms. “I try to sense what the public sees, to directly reveal their emotions, without trying to avoid them,” explains Young-Deok, regarding his 3D, creations. “If the public sees beauty, then the piece will be beautiful, if they see ugliness then it will be ugly; my goal is to be as honest as possible.”
His atelier in the suburbs of Seoul is filled with welding materials and plaster models. This is where Young-Deok and his team of 10 artisans bring his sculptures to life. Based on the size of the sculpture, a single piece can require as many as three months of work, the longest part of which is to disassemble, reassemble, and weld the chains.
Meditation 130, A Person Lost In His Thoughts
One of his sculptures, Meditation 130, questions and soothes the soul. With its closed eyes and relaxed mouth, the piece evokes a sense of serenity. The bicycle chain is twisted to create a mural sculpture with a height of 110 cm and a width of 75 cm.
Key points: The extraordinary talent and passion of Young-Deok can be seen in his brilliant and original use of simple chain links to create powerful works of art. His exhibit LINK highlights the connection between two elements, the robustness of the metallic chain and the suppleness of the human body, suggesting oppression of the human spirit by today’s industrialized, materialistic society.
Plus: The number included in the title of each sculpture corresponds to the total length, in meters, of the chains used to fabricate that piece. For example, The Thinker 300 comprises 300 meters of bicycle chains!
