KANG MOK

Kang Mok (b. 1988) captures human relationships and the warmth that flows within them. His Dongeuri series takes a simple circle as its basic unit to symbolize the bonds and affection that connect people through the way they look at one another. The overlapping circles on the canvas show the intimacy of many kinds of relationships, between family members, lovers, friends, and siblings, and serve as a metaphor for the harmony that small beings create in the world. The Dongeuri figures in the series sometimes wear playful, mischievous expressions. Beneath them, however, lie the many emotions we encounter in life and the care we hold for one another. Where the circles overlap and intersect, the direction in which the figures look at each other can be read as the direction of the love they exchange.

Kang graduated from the Department of Painting at Dong-A University. In 2012, while still an undergraduate, he held his first solo exhibition, My Dog N Your Dog, in Busan, followed by Dissatisfaction (Gallery Bom, 2013) and The Dog-Basic Instinct (Space Um, 2014), in which he presented paintings and FRP sculptures featuring dogs. In his 2019 solo exhibition Cheapy peers at Middleman Gallery, he introduced the Public Portrait series, which borrows familiar characters. Since then, he has focused on Dongeuri, a character of his own creation, to explore relationships and affection.

His major solo exhibitions include JUPITER (Karin Gallery, Busan, 2025), KANGMOK (Karin Gallery, Busan, 2024), and Today (Gallery Q, Busan, 2022), and he has participated in numerous curated and group exhibitions. His work is held in the collections of institutions including ChildFund Korea, Dong-A University Hadan Campus, and meerecompany Inc., as well as in private collections.