Seong Ryul Cloud 12 

116.8 x 91cm, Acrylic gouache on canvas 2026

  Gallery Joeun presents Cloud 9, a solo exhibition by represented artist Seong Ryul (b. 1994), on view from August 20 to September 19. The exhibition offers a focused survey of the artist’s recent body of work, exploring the fluid intersections of memory, time, personal growth, and the poignant sensation of moments slipping away.

After studying animation at the Korea National University of Arts, Seong Ryul gained international acclaim by winning the Grand Prize at the Japan International MANGA Award in 2022 for In Summer. 

Since then, he has translated his expertise in scene composition and narrative pacing into a distinct painterly language, building a singular artistic voice that bridge sequential storytelling and fine art.

Filmmaker Bong Joon Ho contributed an essay to the exhibition catalogue, observing the subtle tension beneath the surface of Seong Ryul’s compositions. 

Bong notes that while the sun-drenched alleys, billowing cumulus clouds, cats, and children possess a delicate beauty, they carry a difficult-to-explain sense of unease—appearing as though they have either already vanished or are on the verge of disappearing.

Bong describes an illusion of quiet movement across the canvases: shadows lengthening imperceptibly across playgrounds, sunlight shifting, and foliage trembling on windless days. This temporal flux creates a space where beauty coexists with unease, and the past overlaps with the present.

 Concluding his essay, Bong remarks that upon seeing white cumulus clouds against a blue sky, viewers will inevitably think of Seong Ryul’s paintings.

While frequently characterized as summer landscapes due to their radiant skies and immense clouds, Chief Curator Cheong Jong Hyo of the Busan Museum of Art views Seong Ryul’s work primarily as "paintings about growth." Cheong argues that summer functions not merely as a season, but as a metaphor for the peak of life's vitality.

 The towering clouds represent constant transformation, while light acts as a conduit for memory, rendering the paintings an investigation into the passage of time rather than passive depictions of scenery.

The exhibition title, Cloud 9, references euphoria and absolute happiness. However, Seong Ryul defines happiness not through dramatic events, but through ordinary, overlooked moments whose value becomes clear only in retrospect.

 His process involves layering thin applications of acrylic gouache, spraying water to loosen pigment, and allowing natural blending traces to remain as physical markers of time.

 Rather than capturing explicit terrain, the artist seeks to paint the tangible "air" and atmosphere of a moment.

Gallery Joeun Director Jo In Sook highlights how Seong Ryul’s hybrid background allowed him to forge a distinct genre that transcends traditional categorization.

Seong Ryul Cloud 13

 73.4 x 60cm, Acrylic gouache on canvas 2026

 As his work begins to gain broader international visibility, Cloud 9 invites viewers to project their own lost summers, past loves, and transient memories onto his atmospheric landscapes, transforming personal recollections into a universal experience.