This June, DCG Contemporary is proud to present Masquerade – Pietà, the first Italian solo exhibition of South Korean artist Lee Gihun, hosted at Dorothy Circus Gallery in Rome. A highly anticipated debut, the show offers the Italian public a profound, poetic, and unsettling perspective on the era we are living through, conveyed through a layered and emotionally resonant visual narrative.
The exhibition features thirteen works, including previously unseen pieces from the
Masquerade and Wonder series, with a particular focus on the theme of the Pietà. This theme holds an even deeper meaning within the Roman context—a city that houses some of the most iconic depictions of the Pietà in art history, including Michelangelo’s renowned sculpture.
Subtitled A Study on How Children Live in the World, this new series borrows religious and mythological narratives and reimagines them as contemporary allegories. Within this original imaginary world, masked children move through suspended realms between reality and fantasy. These enigmatic figures inhabit silent, desolate landscapes, embodying the human condition in the face of environmental collapse and the uncertain future of our planet.
Lee Gihun introduces a narrative structure that weaves together the biblical tradition of the Pietà with the symbolism of Noah’s Ark, shaping a visual universe that reflects on climate change, future generations, and the profound responsibility and care owed to all forms of life. The artist describes this new phase of the project as a structural expansion of the entire Masquerade cycle—capable of evoking complex and contradictory emotions, much like the gaze of a mother upon her dying son: a gesture of love, grief, helplessness, and hope.
Gihun’s distinctive style is defined by his use of acrylic, oil pastels, and recycled materials—including silk wallpaper remnants typical of Korean homes and repurposed school supplies—layering his paintings with texture, memory, and meaning. His artistic practice stems from deep observation, beginning with an honest gaze upon oneself and the world, and evolving through a process that merges instinct with daily dedication.
Suspended between the magical and the melancholic, Masquerade – Pietà challenges the dualistic worldview of Western culture, which separates spirit from matter, thus deepening humanity’s estrangement from nature. Gihun’s works become both a poetic and critical reflection on the urgent need to reconnect with the world—with awareness, empathy, and responsibility.
We are honored to welcome Gihun Lee to Rome for the opening event on June 5th at Dorothy Circus Gallery, Via dei Pettinari 76, Rome, RM, 00186.
An unmissable opportunity to step into the delicate and disquieting universe of Lee Gihun, where the mask becomes a mirror, and art an open question about our time.
