May 26 - June 17, 2006
Opening reception: Friday May 26, 5 - 9:30 PM

Andrew Bae Gallery, located in the heart of the River North art district in downtown Chicago, focuses on the new generation of Asian contemporary artists. In conjunction with SNAG Conference Chicago, the new exhibition opening on May 26 presents wire sculptures of two Asian artists, Keysook Geum and Jin Dian Shi. Keysook Geum’s sculptures posed in clothing are fashioned from paper-wrapped wire, and often embellished with silk, beads, sequins, feathers, coral, or bits of amber stone. Her background in costume design for large-scale dance companies and theater productions is well reflected in each piece as graceful elegance and powerful energy. Being firmly rooted in a tradition of her own, as Geum feels of herself, she still embraces contemporary ideas and tries to fuse them into her artistic philosophy. These wired garments form comments on ubiquitous and ephemeral World Wide Web, both the technology and our contemporary culture that is becoming increasingly global and interwoven. Geum is currently a professor in the textile department at Hong-Ik University in Seoul, Korea, where she lives and completes the majority of her work.

The life-size motorcycle made of stainless steel wire by Jin Dian Shi catches everyone’s eyes for its painstaking detail. The artist’s incredibly detail-oriented craftsmanship is also enhanced by his sophisticated wit. This exhibition includes eight pairs of shoes made of the same wire painted in black and white. Jin Dian Shi is a metal sculptor who exhibits his work for the first time in America at Andrew Bae Gallery.