GWON Osang is one of Korea’s most innovative contemporary artists, widely recognized for his pioneering ‘photographic sculptures.’ By photographing subjects from multiple angles and reassembling the images into three-dimensional forms, GWON blurs the line between photography and sculpture, offering works that are both hyper-realistic and fragmented. His art chanllenges conventional notions of representation, identity and the role of images in modern culture. Having exhibited in leading galleries and museums around the world, GWON has established himself as a vital voice in the global contemporary art scene.
This interview provides insights into his creative process, inspirations and the significance of pushing artistic boundaries.
The following are excerpts from an email interview with GWON from August 25-29.
1.Please introduce yourself to the readers.
Hello, my name is GWON Osang. I am a sculptor based in Seoul, where I live and work.
2.Can you tell us how you first started combining photography and sculpture?
During my college years as a sculpture major with a strong passion for photography, I came to the realization that by moving away from photography itself and instead cutting and assembling photographs, I could create sculptures that were lighter in form. This insight became the starting point of my artistic practice.
3.What inspired you to create your unique 3D photo-sculpture style?
My work was inspired by the forms and principles of origami models.
4.How do you choose the people or objects you turn into sculptures?
When photographing a subject, I need to take an enormous number of partial shots, which requires a great deal of time. For that reason, I needed people who were patient enough to endure the process without complaint. In the beginning, it was mostly my family and friends who appeared in the works. Later, as my work became more recognized, magazines began to send well-known actors, models, and musicians. These days, I often work with images found through online searches, usually of people or objects that left a strong impression on me and lingered in my memory.
5.What themes do you explore most in your art?
My work draws on the history of sculpture, the essence of sculpture itself, and the diverse objects I come across in my everyday environment.
6.Do you think your work is more about photography, or more about sculpture—or both?
It is both, but if I must choose, it is sculpture. Maybe because of this response, I no longer tend to be invited to photography exhibitions.
Through his distinctive fusion of photography and sculpture, GWON Osang continues to redefine the possibilities of contemporary art. By engaging with his practice, we gain a deeper understanding of how art can evolve in dialogue with technology, identity and culture – reminding us that innovation in art is as much about reimaging perspectives as it is about creating new forms.
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