Bongsang Yoo
Seoul, South Korea, b. 1960
Biography
The world Bongsang Yoo creates that ethereal, suspended somewhere between hope and despair, never imposes meaning on the viewer. Instead, it invites quiet contemplation. Whatever one encounters within these works is entirely left to the viewer, reflecting the artist’s deeply introspective approach. There is a certain melancholy in this distance, in the way Yoo refuses to dictate meaning that even though the sheer physical labor and meticulous process behind his pieces would seem to warrant a declaration, a message. But Yoo remains silent, choosing instead to pursue quiet innovation. He creates dreamlike landscapes using an unexpected medium: nails. His process begins with a panel so heavy it cannot be lifted by hand, it must be hoisted into place by machine. Onto this massive surface, he uses an air tacker to insert 15mm headless pin nails, each driven only halfway in, leaving 7mm protruding. What results is a world of light shaped by the shadow of reality, seven millimeters of darkness, created by something as tangible and industrial as a nail.
Selected Works
SO20250723
2025 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
EIM20250715
2025 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
BB20241025
2024 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
EIM20240808
2024 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
SG20230811
2023 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
BB20230511
2023 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
BB20230801
2023 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
BB20230704
2023 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
SG20230119
2023 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
BB20230524
2023 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood
MP20200303
2020 · Headless pin, Acrylic on wood