Seo Young Deok

In his works, Seo Young Deok makes sculptures out of bicycle gears.  His sculpture technique is unique. Rather than molding the sculpture into place, or carving it’s form, he melts and links each gear into place. Unlike most conceptual art, the entire piece from beginning to end is made by his hand. 

In 2010 he began his graduate studies in environmental sculpture in Seoul where he became interested in the formation of the human body. His works create a sense of longing. The sculptures, both faces and bodies, convey a feeling of seeking for something that is not there. As Deok describes his intention, the characters “look sunken as if they are addicted or infected by something unknown.” But the message doesn’t stop with the individual. As Deok states, his works reflect a sense of horror in contemporary life.

“Among young men and women, it is obvious that men are especially enduring something scary and cruel, or are closing their eyes against the heartlessness and cruelty of the world. Sometimes, they are cruel, horrifying, and dreadful themselves. Some are with their heads chopped off or partly smashed. The head-sculpture of a young man, much bigger than life-size, being placed on the empty ground, suggesting something afraid or a sense of unknown horror.” Overall, Deok uses the medium of sculpture to demonstrate his anxiety with modern life. For more information on his works, click here. 

- Lee Jones