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artist: Gaia
location: Mechanicsville, Virginia

Ungnyeo in Namdaemun
"Ungnyeo was a bear woman who is known in the Korean creation myth as the founder of Korea when Hwanung blessed her with a human child. The ying and yang of confucian gender hierarchy thus locates the woman as of the earth, and man, as of the sky. The notion that the female figure was furnished with a child from on high, establishes the physiological wonder of the womb as a submissive process. Instead, this piece which is situated across the street from Namdaemun, "The Great Southern Gate" and the heart of Seoul. The most prominent of the four, the body of Ungnyeo is composed of buddhist cloud motifs and the center of the massive body has an oval silhouette to signify the womb flanked by two strong inwardly turned hands. The earth woman is then hybridized with the supremacy of the sky to institute the female figure into a role of reproduction versus reception. Within this new iteration of the ancient narrative, the woman animal becomes the most prominent figure of genesis. "



Sunrise Neighbor in Sangwangsimni
"The third of five pieces in Seoul, Sunrise Neighbor is situated on the East Side of the city in the condemned neighborhood of Sangwangsimni. An entire swath of the city is slated to be cleared for more efficient high rise apartments, but in the interim period between their demolition and the new construction, many of these buildings stand idly and empty. Sunrise Neighbor is an image of a rabbit's face whose visage is composed of lurid clouds over a scape of new, homogenous housing blocks. The rabbit signifies the coming of a new year, and if placed on the eastern facade of the building to meet the rising sun every morning. Yet the interior subject matter of the face represents a passing of the urban environment into a new era with new, globalized demands. The title of the piece is derived from the numerous slogans scrawled over the abandoned buildings clamoring "Do not destroy your neighbor!" and "Do not demolish this house!"

Fell through the roof of that ledge putting the piece up to write the message in Hangul that is adjacent to the piece but it was well worth it."

See Part I of Gaia in Seoul, and more by Gaia.

artist: Gaia
location: Seoul, Korea

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artist: Gaia
location: Meserole + Bushwick Place, Brooklyn, NYC

Tiger Rabbit
"the first of five pieces for each quadrant of the city. The hybrid of the Tiger and Rabbit signifies the annual transition in the Korean calendar. Furthermore, these archetypal symbols of aggression and submission address the hierarchy of japanese colonization and contemporary korean identity. Situated in Hongdae, the center of Seoul's fashion and nightlife, the neighborhood is the confluence of traditional korean culture and American influence."



Praying Monk
"the second of five pieces for each quadrant of the city. With the wave of evangelicalism that has arrived with the western wash that has suffused korea for the last half century, I thought it would be pertinent to hybridize/subvert the old tradition with the new influence. Shamanism and Buddhism were expelled from the city of seoul when the Joseon dynasty adopted Confucianism and now the country is undergoing a new religious transition to Christianity. But the Image of Buddhism has returned to the the walls of the palace right near the ancient gate of Gyeongbokgung, this time by the hands of a westerner. The contrast of the Buddhist monk with praying hands inscribed with the symbols of the disciple St Andrew is a portrait of passing times and transmission of cutlure"

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artist: Gaia
location: Seoul, Korea

Gaia's show at Irvine Contemporary just opened - and Gaia hit the streets to announce his arrival. There are more complicated pieces (including his 'Grandfather' and bird figures), but I find this piece, 'Cease' is really striking - particularly on a boarded-up church.

You can see more of his street work here, and the show runs until July 24 - details here.

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artist: Gaia
location: Washington DC