Si On: The Magic Woman and Other Stories
Bunkier Sztuki, Kraków, Poland
There is no missing the fact that other protagonists of her paintings are Si Onoids as well. They populate this world under various pretences, as though the artist kept sending legions of belligerent, unbreakable, mutilated but ceaselessly reborn herselves off to a great war. We can easily imagine that the warfare begins already when the painter, whose stature is that of a Thimbelina, stands before a giant canvas. The very process of painting is, in this case, an uneven physical clash with an oppressively larger object, requiring […] transcending oneself and the limitations of a small woman’s body. Consequently, that body spawns strong, ruthless images of itself, charged with militant energy, as though in an attempt to grow through them, multiply its existence, gain more fangs and talons; to become – through art as a magical spell – a giantess, a monstress, an ogress, a she-dragon, a caryatid, a female Christ of Świebodzin.
Corporeality inevitably determines the fate of a woman […] paradoxically […] increase in size is undesirable, while getting smaller is considered a success, a victory over the unfortunate, weak feminine physicality. A triumph in the ongoing struggle for being adored […]. In opposition to this trend, Si On grows in her paintings, experiencing her alternative physical existences as an almighty, valiant giantess: a bulimic warrior (Big Girl), care-giving mother (Nursing), or the Polish king/princess (Kill Kill Kill).
– Dorota Masłowska, excerpt from curatorial statement
Si On’s first solo exhibition in Krakow – the city where the artist has lived and worked for several years – is an invitation to the world of her art: distinct and intense, full of courage, humour, and self-distance, yet uncompromising in form and emotion.
Si On brings us into her world with a narrative constructed through painting, sculpture, and video. At the same time, Dorota Masłowska recounts this visual world through her long poem – written in a language foreign to the artist – articulating a distinct, literary narrative that intertwines with Si On’s universe. It comprises strong colours, experimental techniques, and oversized figures; here, corporeality is a field of struggle, transformation, and the magical transcendence of one’s own boundaries. With lightness and defiance, the artist brings to life her alter egos – strong, fierce, sometimes grotesque heroines – who expand beyond norms and expectations.
Si On was born in Korea. She received her BA from Mokwon University and her MA and PhD from Kyoto City University of Arts. After living in Japan and New York City, she moved to Krakow, Poland, where she currently lives and works.
Her practice has evolved toward abstract, intuitive forms realised in a range of materials. Moving fluidly between painting and sculpture, her work is characterised by expressive shapes and layered surfaces. Drawing on shamanism, ritual, and spirituality, she understands art as a therapeutic and transformative process.
