John Pai Transforms Steel Into Delicate, Airy Sculptures
“Shared Destinies” (2014), welded steel, 85.5 x 108 x 85 centimeters. Photos by Geoffrey Quelle. All images © John Pai, courtesy of
the artist and Gallery Hyundai, shared with permission
John Pai Transforms Steel Into Delicate, Airy Sculptures
September 12, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
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For more than seventy years, John Pai’s artistic practice has delved into themes ranging from memory and the subconscious to international art forms, East Asian philosophy, and science. Starting in the early 1960s, he began working with steel, investigating both its technical and aesthetic potential through abstract shapes influenced by Constructivism.
Pai is known for his meticulous and detailed metal sculptures, which weld thin strips in lattices and sheets to create delicate woven textures. A material we typically associate with heavy-duty construction is transformed into intimate works that appear as if they could float on air. Soft curves and gauzy surfaces suggest organic forms or textiles in contrast to industrial applications.
“Risen, Fallen, Walken” (1987), welded steel, 120 x 109 x 54 centimeters
Shared Destinies, the artist’s solo exhibition at Gallery Hyundai, presents nearly 40 pieces Pai has made throughout the past seven decades. Comprising welded steel sculptures, drawings, and paintings, the show illuminates the artist’s multidisciplinary approach to material, process, and form.
In the work “Shared Destinies,” for example—which lends the show its name—layers of delicately welded steel suggest a woven basket. Ethereal pieces like “Invocation” bring to mind the undulating, woven wire sculptures of Ruth Asawa. The visible inner structures mirror the universal layers of the human psyche, time, and the artist’s journey of self-exploration.
Shared Destinies continues through October 20 in Seoul. See more on the gallery’s website.
“Involution” (1974), welded steel, 98 x 98 x 97 centimeters
“Forgotten Rule” (1990), welded steel, 92 x 102.5 x 41.8 centimeters
“Untitled” (1982), welded steel, 86 x 52 x 58 centimeters
‘Heaven and Earth’
series, 1 to 7 (2024), welded steel, variable dimensions
“Untitled 1970, Entitled 2021” (1970), welded steel, 92 x 92 x 38.9 centimeters
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