The exhibition Is there Someone? posed one of the most fundamental questions of human existence: what does it mean to be someone?
In an exclusive collaboration with Choi & Choi Gallery, the works of Korean artists Ung-Pil Byen and Jinyoung Yu were brought into a dynamic and thought-provoking dialogue, inviting viewers to reflect on their own identity and their relationship to the other.

Ung-Pil Byen: The Chromatic Soul of the Singular Self

Painter Ung-Pil Byen (b. 1970) explores his subtle, often ambivalent relationship with society through oil paintings of quiet intensity. His technically accomplished portraits, stripped down to their emotional essence, gently take the viewer by the hand. With a soft, creamy palette and precise lines, his works invite viewers to project their own feelings and personal stories onto the figures.
Byen’s art negotiates the conditio humana – the constant inner struggle for self-awareness and social recognition, the desire to be seen and acknowledged as someone. And yet, his approach is filled with emotional sensitivity and quiet optimism, radiating both vulnerability and strength.

Jinyoung Yu: The Fragile Shell of the Invisible Self

In striking contrast stand the sculptures of Jinyoung Yu (b. 1977). Created from transparent, fragile-looking PET, her figures address the invisibility of the true self in a world dominated by appearances.
Her work reflects on the tension between external perception and inner identity, giving presence to those who remain unseen – whether hidden behind the mask of public image or marginalised in society. The delicate material of her sculptures becomes a metaphor for the vulnerability and permeability of an identity shaped by social norms and expectations.

The Synthesis: Two Sides of a Question

Together, the works of Byen and Yu created a powerful space of resonance. While Byen’s paintings illuminate the inner, psychological journey of becoming, Yu’s sculptures render visible the external, social conditions of visibility and invisibility.
Both artists masterfully reveal how the self is shaped in the gaze of the other – or how it dissolves within it.