A Personal Geography Transformed into Art
In Shape of Land, Chicago-based designer Sung Jang transforms deeply personal locations into abstract, dreamlike landscapes. At the heart of his vision lies an emotional connection to cartography, which he sees not merely as a navigational tool, but as a metaphorical means of self-location and historical reflection. Now on view at Volume Gallery in Chicago, Jang’s exhibition includes a six-panel screen and acrylic-on-linen wall works, textured with inked sand, that reference both his Korean roots and the poetic form of mapmaking.
The visuals evoke imaginary terrains — rivers, mountains, and fragmented continents — influenced by the Middle Joseon dynasty’s cartographic tradition, which prioritized artistic interpretation over technical precision. These historic maps, more expressive than literal, served as a springboard for Jang’s own visual language.
Between Nature and Narrative: The Given Series
Accompanying the paintings is Jang’s Given series — sculptural works combining oak wood planes and found stones, such as granite or nephrite jade. Each stone is placed within the wooden structure at a distinct angle, marked with the latitude, longitude, and time of its discovery. These works act as philosophical anchors: they speak to a dialogue between natural materials and human-made frameworks, and offer a poetic take on memory, space, and identity.
By grounding each stone in time and place, Jang invites viewers to reflect on how we orient ourselves in relation to the world, creating emotional maps of experience.
More on ArchUp:
On View Through April 12, 2025
Shape of Land is more than an exhibition — it’s a meditation on where we come from, how we remember, and what it means to locate beauty and self in the world around us.
