The Blade of Grass and the Bird 26_01, Mixed media on canvas, 117x91cm, 2026 

In his solo exhibition, The Blade of Grass Does Not Remember the Weight of the Bird, Gyung-hee Ryu explores the fear of being forgotten and the quiet resignation that lies beneath. Through his long-standing motifs of ‘Faces’ and ‘Birds’, he illuminates the delicate boundaries of existence with profound depth.

For the first time in this exhibition, the ‘Bird’—which previously appeared as a symbolic element alongside human figures—takes center stage. The artist identifies himself entirely with the bird on the canvas, portraying the solitude of beings that possess wings but have ceased to fly, suspended in a state of belonging nowhere. This is not a record of a failed leap toward freedom, but rather a chronicle of the intrinsic weight felt by one who foresees that freedom may never be reached.

While the world returns to its mundane rhythm as if no death or wound ever occurred, Ryu does not let go of the human desire “for at least the final breath to be remembered” amidst such indifference. As the curator notes, “We, standing before the paintings, will find it difficult to forget that weight.” This exhibition serves as a poignant medium, connecting the artist and the viewer in the heart of a world that is constantly fading away.