Lehmann Maupin is pleased to announce The River and the Raft, Los Angeles-based artist Liza Lou’s first exhibition in Seoul. Over her 30 years of working primarily with glass beads, Lou has pushed the boundaries of her chosen medium, exposing its potential as not only a material, but as a conceptual object. Spanning two locations, Lou presents the culmination of a new era in her practice, creating a series that can be classified as both painting and sculpture: a formal non-binary true to the nature of her materials and philosophical line of inquiry about the nature of an artistic practice. There will be an opening reception for the artist on September 26, 2019 from 5pm– 7pm at 74-18, Yulgok-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul and at the Songwon Art Center, 75, Yunboseon-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Within the Buddhist canon, the Parable of the Raft tells of a man who comes to a river he needs to cross. Having neither a boat nor a bridge, he builds a raft, spending a great deal of time and effort lashing together branches and ropes in the correct configuration, testing his design until it is able to safely transport him across the river. Once he reaches the opposite bank, he is dismayed over what to do with his creation, which was instrumental in his safe passage and the ultimate success of his journey. The question becomes, should he continue to carry it with him, even though it would be debilitating and slow his progress? This is a lesson in letting go, about valuing the investment and time we committed to past pursuits, while accepting their loss so we are able to move forward unencumbered.