LENA

CONTACT

http://lenanowhere.com
lena.k.leigh@gmail.com
esirizar@gmail.com
https://medium.com/@aspacia
Instagram @lena_nowhere
https://blog.naver.com/aspacia

BIOGRAPHY

LENA (b. 1980) is a visual artist based in Seoul, South Korea, specializing in photography, video art, and installation. She philosophically focuses on themes such as identity, social minorities, private emotions, and social issues.

LENA defines herself as a person who stands on the border. The border is a spot that is neither outside nor inside. She believes the border provides wider and more flexible insights, fostering awareness in a complicated society without bias. She focuses on unjust issues and diversity and aims to exhibit her thoughts through her works.

Her initial works display aesthetic images, loneliness, and unnameable moments in photography. Influenced by Henri Bergson, Fujiwara Shinya, and Sophie Calle, she attempted to capture time and space as an observer in her early works. She mainly uses film cameras, believing that film photography is closer to capturing instant moments in the photographic process.

Recently, LENA has concentrated on conveying her identity as a female artist and an Asian in her works. Influenced by Nah Hye-Seok, Agnès Varda, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Audre Lorde, and Adrienne Rich, Hélène Cixous, she broadens her fields while incorporating her insights into social issues. Since 2017, she has begun producing uncanny video works and objects with photography. Her works are deeply rooted in literature, philosophy, and old European movies, and she combines her thoughts using various methods.

She studied for a BA in Philosophy at HUFS in South Korea and an MA in Photography: Images and Electronic Arts at Goldsmiths College in the UK. She also has a short-term course diploma from NYFA.

(Fr)

LENA (née en 1980) est une artiste visuelle basée à Séoul, en Corée du Sud, spécialisée dans la photographie, l'art vidéo et l'installation. Elle se concentre philosophiquement sur des thèmes tels que l'identité, les minorités sociales, les émotions privées et les questions sociales.

LENA se définit comme une personne qui se tient à la frontière. La frontière est un endroit qui n'est ni à l'extérieur ni à l'intérieur. Elle croit que la frontière offre des perspectives plus larges et plus flexibles, favorisant la conscience dans une société complexe sans biais. Elle se concentre sur les questions d'injustice et de diversité et vise à exprimer ses pensées à travers ses œuvres.

Ses premières œuvres présentent des images esthétiques, la solitude et des moments innommables en photographie. Influencée par Henri Bergson, Fujiwara Shinya et Sophie Calle, elle a tenté de capturer le temps et l'espace en tant qu'observatrice dans ses premières œuvres. Elle utilise principalement des appareils photo argentiques, croyant que la photographie argentique est plus proche de la capture des moments instantanés dans le processus photographique.

Récemment, LENA s'est concentrée sur la transmission de son identité en tant qu'artiste féminine et asiatique dans ses œuvres. Influencée par Nah Hye-Seok, Agnès Varda, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich et Hélène Cixous, elle élargit ses domaines tout en intégrant ses idées aux questions sociales. Depuis 2017, elle a commencé à produire des œuvres vidéo étranges et des objets avec la photographie. Ses œuvres sont profondément enracinées dans la littérature, la philosophie et les vieux films européens, et elle combine ses pensées en utilisant diverses méthodes.

Elle a étudié pour obtenir une licence en philosophie à l'HUFS en Corée du Sud et un master en photographie : Images et Arts électroniques au Goldsmiths College au Royaume-Uni. Elle possède également un diplôme de cours de courte durée du NYFA.

CURRICULUM VITÆ

Solo Exhibition

2023 May THE FOREST OF TYTIRUS, Space Route, Seoul, South Korea
2021 June ADZIISGAI, Photography Space Um, Suwon, South Korea
2021 May DESIDERO, LUCEO CLARE; I am shining by myself, BGN Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2020 August LET YOU INTO MY VIBIN, Baekdugangsan, Seoul, South Korea
2019 June BEYOND HEARING. Beeum Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2019 June PHAINESTAI, JackeunchangKeunpoonggyoung Gallery, Daejeon, South Kore
2018 July MELTS IN THE WALL, AND I, AM THE ARROW, Space55, Seoul, South Korea
2018 March YEOJA A, The Ou Gallery, Duncan, BC, Canada
2017 November BEYOND HEARING, Anise Gallery, London, UK
2015 May-June PHAINESTAI, Seojin Art Space, Seoul, South Korea

Double Exhibition

2023 June THE TRANSLUCID MOMENT, Yeonwoo Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2021 Feb-Mar CAN WE COEXIST? KP Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2020 May IS THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG? Space55, Seoul, South Korea
2017 October I AM THE ARROW, Project Space Wapping, London, UK

Group Exhibition

2024 September KEEP ART and CARRY ON, Yeoljeong Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2024 September UNDRESSED ME: My Little Buddha, Tell Me What You See,
60ADADA, Saint-Denis, France
2024 May UNDRESSED ME: My Little Buddha, Tell Me What You See,
Schloss Mitsuko, Thürkow, Germany
2024 April CASS, Eastartelier, Seoul, South Korea
2024 February UNDRESSED ME: My Little Buddha, Tell Me What You See and EDO,
Sphere Salon, Hashi Gallery, Mexico Art Week, Mexico city, Mexico
2023 December METAMORPHOSIS, Alternative Space IPO, Seoul, South Korea
2023 October UNDRESSED ME: My Little Buddha, Tell Me What You See,
Alternative Space IPO, Seoul, South Korea
2023 September FLASHBACK, Should Work Anyway, Bincan Apgujeong, Seoul
2023 June METAMORPHOSIS, 60ADADA, Saint-Denis, France
2023 February No Man’s Land, Sphere Salon, Mexico City, Mexico
2022 August TANGLED COSMOS, Metal House Gallery, Yang-pyeong, South Korea
2022 June SO, WHATEVER CONTEXT, Seven days Studio, Seoul, South Korea
2022 May Ways of Saying: SIPHONOPHORA, KP Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2020 Nov-Dec THE ORIGIN OF THE BIRTH, Peugeot Citroen VIP centre, Pyeongtaek, Korea
2019 April WHO I AM_NA: C’EST MOI, Beeum Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2014 December BIRTH, Canson Gallery, Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
2014 May MY FAVOURITE THING, Arton Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

Curate

2024 Aug Per Se, Kyoungin Museum, Seoul, South Korea
2024 April FROM THE LIQUID ENNORATH, Juyeso Project, Seoul, South Korea
2023 January PENTAPRISM, Posposki, Seoul, South Korea
2023 January Caroline Culcasi, MAYBE THIS IS A FOREST, Posposki, South Korea
2022 August TANGLED COSMOS, Metal house Gallery, Yang-pyeong, South Korea
2022 July PARALLEL PARADISE, Metal House Gallery, Yang-pyeong, South Korea
2022 October Through the River 3x3, Korea cultural centre in India, Delhi, India
2021 May Ways of Saying: SIPHONOPHORA, KP Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

Fair

2021 June The Preview Seongsoo, Seoul, South Korea
2021 June The Preview Hannam, Seoul, South Korea
2017 October Farallax Art Fair, London, UK

Experience

2021 Curator, India-Korea Culture Exchange Exhibition, Delhi-Seoul, India-South Korea
2016 Researcher, Historic Archive, History Museum Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
2015 Curator, Jeonju International Photography Festival, Jeonju, South Korea
2014-2015 Photographer&Researcher, Seoul Old Lane Project, Seoul City Municipal Council, Seoul, South Korea

Artist Residency

2023 June-July 60 ADADA, Saint-Denis, France
2021 November ROOT, Brabant, Netherlnd
2018 March-April The Ou Gallery, Duncan, BC, Canada

Publication

2022 Writer, Here, without noticing, Little Mountain, South Korea
2020 Writer, Can We Talk Coexistence? Seoul, South Korea
2015 Writer&Photographer, Phainestai, Seoul, South Korea
2014 Illustratior&Writer, Little Kitten Momo, Picture Book, Dubai, UAE
2014 Editor&Photographer, tranquilizer, photography magazine, Seoul, South Korea

Contributing Writing

2024 Monthly Magazine, Photography Art, Exhibit Report
2023 Webzine, Genrebulmoon
2022 Seasonal Magazine, Hwanghae Munhwa

Archive

2020 Kim Jin-Ah single Album cover, Meoli, Deo Gaggai, Seoul, South Korea
2017 Beyond Hearing, Arellano Architecture Office, Quito, Ecuador

Education

1999-2005, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies - BA Philosophy, South Korea
2013 New York Film Academy - Photography(120hours diploma), USA
2016-2017, Goldsmiths College, University of London - MA Photography: Images and Electronic Art, UK

Workshop

2017 Magnum & The British Photography Journal workshop, London, UK 

Language

Korean(native), English(upper advanced), French(B1) and Japanese(N3)