Lehmann Maupin is pleased to announce an exhibition of new and recent work by Nari Ward at Lehmann Maupin, Seoul. Launching the gallery’s official exhibitions program at its Seoul location, CORRECTIONAL will feature sculpture, painting, and drawing for the New York-based artist’s first exhibition in Korea. The works in the exhibition, along with the title, offer critical insight into the multiple associations and meanings derived from the term “correctional,” which can be interpreted as both punitive and altruistic. Renowned for his ability to marry political concepts with personal identity and historical context, Ward brings forth new meaning to notions of truth and punishment, and a true understanding of correction. The gallery will host an opening reception for the artist on Tuesday, August 28, from 5 to 7 PM, at 74-18, Yulgok-ro 3-gil, Jongnu-gu, Seoul.

Early in his career, Ward garnered acclaim among a generation of artists who shifted the focus of contemporary art in the 1990s toward a more political tone. He developed a rigorous practice of repurposing found objects often collected in his neighborhood in Harlem, like fire hoses and baby strollers, creating juxtapositions of material that offer greater metaphorical interpretation, or social critique. Ward’s personal experience of growing up in Jamaica and immigrating to the United States as a teenager informs his concerns around race, religion, class, and identity that he examines through multiple associated issues such as tourism, patriotism, and consumer culture. Ward’s work embodies his multicultural perspective, offering nuanced understanding of these sociopolitical themes, with layers of interpretation accessible according to the viewer’s own experiences or cultural legacy.