P21 is pleased to present ‘Land of Origins’, a two-person exhibition featuring Hanna Jo and Chunkook Lee, on view from February 15 to March 29. Hanna Jo previously participated in the group exhibition ‘Exoskeleton’ in 2024, while this marks Chunkook Lee’s first collaboration with P21. Both artists explore the theme of ‘life,’ each expressing it through different materials and methods to reveal fundamental similarities between nature and the human interior. By translating forms commonly found in nature into sculptural volumes and spatial relationships, they uncover the connections that bridge nature and the human body. Additionally, by using anatomy to emphasize the inherent equality of all humans, the work focuses on inner identity. Through this approach, they reinterpret existing spaces centered around nature and humanity, encouraging a comprehensive intervention through the interactions between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms, as well as between life and the environment.

Hanna Jo deconstructs and reassembles the biological anatomy that all humans are equally born with, reconstructing it to create new beings. She likens the human interior to the earth, structuring space in this way and depicting emotions and thoughts as new life forms growing within it. The fusion of real anatomical structures with the artist’s imagined beings creates scenes that feel as if they belong to a virtual world, evoking a universal resonance within the human psyche. Additionally, Jo applies, removes, and repeatedly layers paint in various colors, creating variations in texture and depth. This process not only generates a dynamic surface but also elicits different emotions in viewers, guiding them toward a deeper understanding of their own inner essence.

Chunkook Lee decoratively applies nature-based patterns and motifs, merging them with human anatomical structures to reconstruct highly symbolic visual imagery rooted in mythology, fantasy, and religion. Through this approach, he fosters a broader discourse on nature and life while emphasizing their shared essence. Employing a variety of media—including sculpture, installation, and objects—alongside unrestricted material choices, the artist collages everyday items to create distinctive and unconventional forms. By blending different techniques and materials, the work explores visual expansion through three-dimensional painting, while the integration of flat sculptural pieces reinforces depth and texture. Through this interplay between two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements, the work encourages a broader perception of the collective consciousness shared by nature and life. It ultimately seeks to prompt a comprehensive interpretation of painting and sculpture, as well as the relationship between humanity and nature.

By exploring the themes of nature and humanity, life and objects—not through a singular visual motif but through diverse materials and physical properties—this exhibition presents differing human perspectives on the essence and phenomena of existence. In doing so, it offers a glimpse into the varied ways contemporary artists perceive society. Emphasizing the fundamental equality of life, the exhibition seeks to encourage viewers to reflect on issues of social inequality and discrimination, fostering a heightened awareness of these concerns.