Jae Kang is an Auckland-based artist from Korea, and an avid tomato grower. Kang’s training in traditional Korean drawing – which consists of a series of slow, methodical strokes painted in ink – finds a surprising synergy with her prowess in gardening. Using irrigation piping as her material, Kang contours sinewy lines that swarm and coil together, evoking both unruly tendrils and an intricate three-dimensional drawing.
For this site-specific exhibition, Kang takes inspiration from the local Titirangi environment. The exhibition title, Gurmon Sup, translates from Korean into English as ‘dark forest’. Drawing upon ideas of cavernous undergrowth, Gurmon Sup extends from Gallery Four, along the walls and down Te Uru’s spiral stairwell, creating a creeping, crawling installation that threatens to literally take over the building.