Art Cube 2R2 Hosts STONROK Solo Exhibition 'POST ICON'

STONROK 's solo exhibition 'POST ICON' will begin on the 11th at Gallery Art Cube 2R2 Media Cube (B1) with an opening reception. This exhibition features works based on the artist's representative series 'Art or Not,' exploring how emotions and identities transition into visual signs by reinterpreting the structure of images and symbols.

'POST ICON' focuses on the 'sign,' which is left as an incomplete and sensory trace, rather than the 'icon' with fixed meaning. This sign is dismantled and recombined through the artist's process, and is repeatedly rotated and newly constructed within the viewer.

The works feature figures without real names or clear backgrounds. They do not gaze at the camera, nor do they possess specific narratives; instead, they convey moments of emotion that cannot be reproduced through the device of the 'face.' Through pictorial composition, the artist fixes the remnants that predate language and predate image within a square frame, visualizing the process by which emotion transforms into form.

STONROK has continuously explored ways of communicating with popular culture by blurring the boundaries between graphic-based painting, drawing, and object work, bridging street art and fine art. In particular, the artist has consistently presented the possibility of art interacting closely with popular culture through collaborations with various brands.

The artist has actually expanded their work in various ways—such as product design, graphic patterns, and spatial arrangements—through collaborations with popular brands like New Era, Nike, and Musinsa. This time, news of a collaboration with LG Electronics for the 'Life House Houses 2' pop-up project, along with the New Era collaboration, was also revealed. This is noted as an attempt to extend STONROK's unique symbolic visual language beyond the exhibition space.

While 'Art or Not' interpreted visual language through humor and wit at the boundary between art and popular culture, 'POST ICON' internalizes that boundary with a quieter, more dense gaze. Viewers are expected to have a reflective experience, projecting and interpreting their own emotions amidst faceless figures.

Hong Ji-sook, CEO of Art Cube 2R2, stated, 'STONROK has consistently presented the possibility of art interacting closely with popular culture by blurring the boundaries between street art and fine art and actively communicating with the public and collaborating with various brands.' She added, 'This exhibition is deeply meaningful because it aims to communicate more deeply with viewers through new works encompassing both painting and digital art.'

Art Cube 2R2 Hosts STONROK Solo Exhibition POST ICON | Korea Economic Daily

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