Kate Oh Gallery is proud to present the works of artist Haekeung Park. In her solo show, Time Traveler, Haekeung Park once again comes to New York to exhibit her philosophy on life, memories, and freedom.

InTime Traveler, Park presents new work that visually deviates from her previous Lenticular (2018) series, where she explored three-dimensionality within the two- dimensional plane and the movements within the stillness of canvas. Nonetheless, the Time Traveler series continues such exploration—the search for three-dimensional qualities in a plain field. While the aforementioned inquiry was performed with an application of lenticular technique which plays with the visual aspects of the canvas, in the new series of work, Park takes a sculptural approach with a natural material that refers to the artist's nostalgia and controversial historical ramification within the matter—through hemp.

Hemp, once commonly used for multiple purposes (from fabric to food and spiritual rites) in many cultures, has been designated as a controlled substance in many countries for decades due to its mind-altering component. Notwithstanding our current understanding of hemp as one of the most bandied about plant, its uses are widespread around the globe. Park's initial inspiration to use hemp thread came during her visit to a hemp farm in the Korean countryside where she found traditional hemp fabrics and products.

By utilizing a historically charged material, Park goes on to overlay modern dynamics of humanity and nature with the abstract images that are serene, indulgent, and intimidating at the same time, which is inspired by her nostalgia of old Korean scenery and the complex humanpsyche. In describing the process of working with hemp thread, Park recounts memories from her childhood of her and her mother hand-sewing the winter duvet, namely the repetitive, almost meditative yet playful process and motion of swinging the thread and its likeness to life itself. With the intention to reflect on our convoluted connections with mother nature and to facilitate the understanding of the obscurity of life, Park's Time Traveler series invites viewers to contemplate.

Haekeung Park received her BA in Fine Arts Education from Seoul National University in Korea, and her MA in Fine Arts Education from Hongik University in Korea. Park has held numerous exhibitions since 2006, at Seoul Hangaram Art Museum, Kyeungin Art Museum, Ihyung Art Center, Seoul Gallery in Korea, Salon-L'art Contemporain Accessible in Paris, OMS Gallery, K&P Gallery in New York, and 2019 Venice Biennale Project Ray Gallery NY in Venice.