MYTHS, DREAMS, AND NEW REALITIES

Saatchi Gallery, Gallery 4

Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London

Exhibiting Artists: Rabia S. Akhtar, Hoa Dung Clerget, Woo Jin Joo, Wink King Moe, Marcos Kueh, Hannah Lim, Kuniko Maeda, Hemaseh Manawi Rad, Varshga Premarasa, Sato Sugamoto, Lulu wang, Carline Wong, Lian Zhang.

Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery and Bagri Foundation.

Image credits to Sergey Novikov

The Koi

Viscose thread embroidery. Ash wood frame with art glass.

40x50 cm

The Humphead

Viscose thread embroidery. Ash wood frame with art glass.

40x50 cm

The Fighter Fish Man

Viscose thread embroidery. Ash wood frame with art glass.

40x50 cm

The Stone Fish Man

Viscose thread embroidery. Ash wood frame with art glass.

40x50 cm

Part of an ongoing series Water Deities, the works explore how myth, ecology, and folklore interwine. Woo Jin draws inspiration from the Korean colour theory of Obangsaek, the traditional five-directional colour spectrum rooted in East Asian philosophy. The use of deep blue, vibrant red, golden yellow, white, and green is not merely aesthetic - it imbues the embroidered forms with elemental and spiritual resonance.The series postulates a speculative ecology - one where forgotten or overlooked marine life is reimagined as central to our spiritual and cultural consciousness.

Image courtesy of artist and ai. Gallery.