Oh Yoonseok is an artist whose practice centers on healing, restoration, and spiritual energy. For him, letters are not merely tools of communication—they are vessels of energy and symbols, imbued with a kind of ritualistic force. Drawing from Buddhist scriptures and folk beliefs, he deconstructs and reassembles characters to visualize realms of emotion and the unconscious.

His series Hidden Memories, presented at this Biennale, consists of layered works composed of drawing, handwriting, and hand-cut paper elements arranged over dark, deep-toned surfaces. At first glance, the works may appear to be repetitive lines and forms, but beneath the surface lies a profound concentration—a quiet flow of prayer-like energy.

Each work is a form of meditation. The gestures, born from a process of introspective discipline, become visible traces of spiritual resonance. The layers, the cuts, the inked strokes—they awaken emotions and memories that lie dormant within us.

Hidden Memories offers not a loud revelation, but a gentle stirring—a visual form of prayer that speaks not through language but through sensation. It brings forth what is unseen but deeply felt: inner echoes that remind us of what we carry within.

In dialogue with the Biennale’s theme Neighbors of Civilization, Oh Yoonseok’s work invites us to meet the “neighbor” within ourselves: forgotten emotions, latent energies, and the quiet possibility of healing.

Here, art becomes an invocation—an offering of stillness, awareness, and renewal.