Sweet Dreams

Light and Rest — Fragments of a Sweet Dream

The solo exhibition Sweet Dreams by artist Sun-joo Chung unfolds the wish for sweetness and deep rest that blossoms within the ordinariness of everyday life. Grounded in Korea’s traditional mother-of-pearl (nacre) craftsmanship, the artist engraves familiar motifs such as hearts, candies, and pillowcases onto her surfaces, seamlessly traversing the boundaries between tradition and modernity, East and West. The delicate shimmer of nacre oscillates between day and night, reality and dream, offering viewers tender and dreamlike moments of light.

For centuries, Korean pillowcases have been embroidered with auspicious patterns—flowers, butterflies, and mandarin ducks—symbols of good fortune and blessing. Chung reinterprets these motifs through a contemporary visual language, conveying a timeless message of blessing and serenity to those living today. In her compositions, popular icons like candies, hearts, and M&Ms are transformed through the iridescent luster of mother-of-pearl, gaining new emotional depth and resonance.

Sweet Dreams does not merely sing of sweet illusion. It is another name for the peaceful rest, the beautiful dream, and the quiet prayer for happiness that everyone longs for amid a weary and busy life. Like a warm pillow that rests on the border between reality and dream, Sun-joo Chung’s works offer each of us a brief moment to drift into a gentle, sweet dream.