People: The Fluid Identity of Lah Sun’s Wooden Figures
Kim Junghwan
La Sun-Young has long been known for her wooden figurines that reflect the multitude of humanity. Since her studies in the UK, this ongoing project has evolved, culminating in her first solo exhibition in 2014 and continuing to this day. However, the wooden figures in her latest exhibition take an unexpected turn—these are not the familiar human-like forms of her past works. Instead, they depict creatures that seem to have emerged from the realm of fantasy. Has the artist expanded her exploration beyond Earth's 7 billion inhabitants to now include extraterrestrial beings?
Titled Humans, the exhibition presents a name so universal that it risks seeming ordinary. Yet, within its simplicity lies a profound and unsettling question about identity and individuality in society.
Aristotle famously described humans as political animals—beings who realize their true nature through social relationships. In this web of communal life, we continuously seek our place and meaning through interaction and exchange. However, this process often comes at the cost of individuality. Society imposes rigid norms, labeling those who do not conform as "strange" or "different." The weight of collective opinion silences minority voices, and under the guise of trends, people unknowingly mimic one another. Personal expression is suppressed, and what is not easily classified is often deemed monstrous.
La Sun-Young challenges these societal contradictions. Even identical twins, despite their shared appearance, possess distinct identities and inner worlds. If no two individuals are truly alike, then is it not paradoxical to judge and exclude based on differences? What, then, defines the true essence of humanity?
Her works blur the boundaries between the real and the surreal, inviting viewers into a space that transcends both. Strange, diverse creatures dance upon a dark floor, their postures and gestures asserting their presence. Yet, humans stand among them, and despite their bizarre forms, the atmosphere remains curiously harmonious. The golden-hued ceramic sculptures shimmer with an undefined presence, as if externalizing an inner reality. Here, the distinction between human and monster dissolves, and each figure’s existence becomes a part of a greater, resonant symphony.
The exhibition space is a carefully curated environment—a stage where disparate materials such as wood, paint, canvas, and clay converge to embody the artist’s vision. This space does not merely depict reality but serves as a conduit between the physical world and the realm of ideas. In doing so, La Sun-Young offers not just an artistic experience, but a metaphorical search for the very place where we, the people, might finally belong.