Sang A Han's Black Flame: Korean artist's textile sculptures debut in Milan
Korean artist Sang A Han (Seoul, 1987) presents her first Italian exhibition, Black Flame, at Galleria Fumagalli in Milan. The show features textile sculptures of female-flower hybrids, stitched and padded cotton painted with black meok ink (soot-based natural ink). The color black, symbolizing life in Korean tradition, pervades the works. Han explores femininity and motherhood, describing how maternity heightened her sensitivity to perceive spirits. Recurring floral motifs include Lylium, Anthurium, and Orchidea—flowers with both sexual organs, emblematic of life. Poses incorporate yoga positions, inviting secular meditation. The exhibition also includes 'spirits'—dense black multi-eyed creatures representing presences Han now senses. The stitching process serves both structural and meditative purposes, described as a secular mantra. The show runs summer 2024.
Key facts
- Sang A Han is a Korean artist born in Seoul in 1987.
- Black Flame is her first exhibition in Italy.
- The exhibition is held at Galleria Fumagalli in Milan.
- Works are textile sculptures made of cotton, stitched and padded, painted with black meok ink.
- Meok is a natural ink derived from soot, traditional in Korea.
- The color black symbolizes life in Korean tradition, not death as in European tradition.
- Themes include femininity, motherhood, and life-giving.
- Recurring flowers: Lylium, Anthurium, and Orchidea.
- Some poses are yoga positions.
- The exhibition includes spirit-like creatures with many eyes.
- Han says motherhood gave her ability to perceive spirits.
- Stitching is described as a mantra or secular prayer.
Entities
Artists
- Sang A Han
Institutions
- Galleria Fumagalli
Locations
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Milan
- Italy