Eyes Facing Backward / 눈이 뒤집히다: Tae Hwang x Lawrence Weiner

3 October - 9 November 2025
Overview
Tae Hwang The First Strike, 2025 oil on canvas 52 x 130 in 132.1 x 330.2 cm
Tae Hwang
The First Strike, 2025
oil on canvas
52 x 130 in
132.1 x 330.2 cm

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, October 18, 5pm - 7pm

 

Artist Statement: 

I am interested in every form of propaganda.

 

I use exaggeration, humor, and juxtaposition in my work. Through this act, sometimes, I come across a pathway, a pattern, a logic that reveals to me why they fascinate me in the first place and how they have conditioned me.

 

The work I make is largely a response to trying to understand how to live here. For me, art has always been a response, an act, a force that helps me make sense of myself and the world around me. It doesn't begin as a research project or an idea to investigate; it begins with a moment of dissonance, when I realize something is off. From there, I explore it, seeking a way to comprehend the situation and justify my existence here.

Works
  • Tae Hwang, First Strike, oil on canvas, 52 x 130 in
    Tae Hwang
    The First Strike, 2025
    oil on canvas
    52 x 130 in
    132.1 x 330.2 cm
    Enquire
  • Tae Hwang, Bug's Burial, oil on canvas, 60 x 40in
    Tae Hwang
    Bugs Burial, 2025
    oil on canvas
    60 x 48 in
    152.4 x 121.9 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Bugs Burial, 2025
    $ 5,000.00
  • Tae Hwang, Porky's Dead, oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in
    Tae Hwang
    Porkys Death, 2025
    oil on canvas
    60 x 48 in
    152.4 x 121.9 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Porkys Death, 2025
    $ 5,000.00
  • Tae Hwang, Princess Minky Momo Right Before Her Death, drawing, 15x15in
    Tae Hwang
    Princess Minky Momo Right Before Her Death, 2025
    graphite on paper
    15 x 15 in
    38.1 x 38.1 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Princess Minky Momo Right Before Her Death, 2025
    $ 900.00
  • Tae Hwang SpongeBob Summoned To The Council Of Human Rights, drawing, 15x15in
    Tae Hwang
    SpongeBob Summoned To The Council Of Human Rights, 2025
    graphite on paper
    15 x 15 in
    38.1 x 38.1 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, SpongeBob Summoned To The Council Of Human Rights, 2025
    $ 900.00
  • Tae Hwang Coached To Suicide By WatupDOC, gouache in paper, 6 x 8 in
    Tae Hwang
    Coached To Suicide By WatupDOC, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Coached To Suicide By WatupDOC, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Break In While Watching Breakin News, gouache on paper, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    Break In While Watching Breakin News, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Break In While Watching Breakin News, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Organic Diamonds Leads To Sudden Drop in Ice Cubes, 8x 6in
    Tae Hwang
    Organic Diamonds Leads To Sudden Drop In Ice Cubes, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Sold
    Sold
  • Tae Hwang, Shaving Cuts Is The New Trend In 2025, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    Shaving Cuts Is The New Trend In 2025, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Sold
    Sold
  • Tae Hwang, Residents Are Fleeing The Bombs For R & R, 6x8
    Tae Hwang
    Residents Are Fleeing The Bombs For R & R, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Residents Are Fleeing The Bombs For R & R, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, New And Improved Crossing Signs Coming Near You, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    New And Improved Crossing Signs Coming Near You, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, New And Improved Crossing Signs Coming Near You, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Mystery Swollen Fingers Leads To A Dramatic Discovery Of A Fact, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    Mystery Swollen Fingers Leads To A Dramatic Discovery Of A Fact, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Mystery Swollen Fingers Leads To A Dramatic Discovery Of A Fact, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, New Weight Control Method Is Deeeelish, 8 x 6in
    Tae Hwang
    New Weight Control Method Is Deeeelish, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, New Weight Control Method Is Deeeelish, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, World Shooting Sports Champion Takes His Gun To His Grave, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    World Shooting Sports Champion Takes His Gun To His Grave, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, World Shooting Sports Champion Takes His Gun To His Grave, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Extreme Stretch Yoga To Make Neckline Slimmer, 8 x 6in
    Tae Hwang
    Extreme Stretch Yoga To Make Neckline Slimmer, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Extreme Stretch Yoga To Make Neckline Slimmer, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Fan Goes Viral After Slicing Millions Of Flies, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    Fan Goes Viral After Slicing Millions Of Flies, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Fan Goes Viral After Slicing Millions Of Flies, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Workers Cut In Half Across Industry, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    Workers Cut In Half Across Industry, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Workers Cut In Half Across Industry, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Drinking Water Ration Goes Into Effect In Early November, 8x6in
    Tae Hwang
    Drinking Water Ration Goes Into Effect In Early November, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Drinking Water Ration Goes Into Effect In Early November, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Homeless Cat Died In Freezing Temperatures While Huddled Around The Steam From A Manhole Cover, 8x6in
    Tae Hwang
    Homeless Cat Died In Freezing Temperatures While Huddled Around The Steam From A Manhole Cover, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Homeless Cat Died In Freezing Temperatures While Huddled Around The Steam From A Manhole Cover, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Farmers Turn To DUKcoins, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    Farmers Turn To DUKcoins, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Farmers Turn To DUKcoins, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Prickly Arsenal Prepares For Its Debut Overseas, 8x6in
    Tae Hwang
    Prickly Arsenal Prepares For Its Debut Overseas, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Prickly Arsenal Prepares For Its Debut Overseas, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Finding Safe Space In The Eyes Of Others, 8x6in
    Tae Hwang
    Finding Safe Space In The Eyes Of Others, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Finding Safe Space In The Eyes Of Others, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Rare Minerals Found Near the Mirage In Springfield, 8x6in
    Tae Hwang
    Rare Minerals Found Near the Mirage In Springfield, 2025
    gouache on paper
    8 x 6 in
    20.3 x 15.2 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Rare Minerals Found Near the Mirage In Springfield, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang SpaceTweet To Launch Massive Crimson Ashes Into Orbit, 2025 gouache on paper 6 x 8 in 15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Tae Hwang
    SpaceTweet To Launch Massive Crimson Ashes Into Orbit, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, SpaceTweet To Launch Massive Crimson Ashes Into Orbit, 2025
    $ 500.00
  • Tae Hwang, Summit Induces Irreversible Blush and Rotten Teeth, 6x8in
    Tae Hwang
    Summit Induces Irreversible Blush and Rotten Teeth, 2025
    gouache on paper
    6 x 8 in
    15.2 x 20.3 cm
    Enquire
    Tae Hwang, Summit Induces Irreversible Blush and Rotten Teeth, 2025
    $ 500.00
Press release

Boston, MA — LaiSun Keane is proud to present Eyes Facing Backward / 눈이뒤집히다, an exhibition by Korean American artist Tae Hwang in relation to American Sculptor, Lawrence Weiner, fellow artist and mentor to Hwang since she was a young adult.  The exhibition places Hwang’s recent paintings and drawings in dialogue with language works by Lawrence Weiner (1942–2021). 

 

The title of the exhibition, in both Korean and English, draws on a Korean idiom that describes sudden, irrational acts - from extreme violence to minor excesses. For Hwang, the phrase recalls her mother’s humorous scolding when she spent long hours watching cartoons. The English version, Eyes Facing Backward, is a loose translation chosen to reflect her dialogue with Weiner’s practice. It conveys both anger and restless energy, while also signaling the artist’s position of looking both forward and backward, navigating memory, influence, and the shared logic of art.

 

Hwang’s works draw from several American cartoon series, she watched growing up, including Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry. Rendered in a palette of red and black, these images point to themes of cultural consumption, propaganda, and the negotiation of identity within American media. 
 
Weiner’s works, WHEN COMPLETED AT A DISTANCE and WHEN DELETED FROM THE EMISSION, co-exist with Hwang’s works. Together, the works of both artists prompt viewers to consider how meaning is constructed through both language and visual culture. As Hwang worked for over a decade for the Lawrence Weiner Studio, the exhibition also considers the complex relationship of mentorship and practice between two artists of radically different generations and cultural backgrounds.  
 
Tae Hwang, based in Baltimore, MD received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and MFA from University of California, San Diego. Her extensive exhibition experiences on the east and west coast have been recognized with major grants and fellowships that include the Maryland State Arts Council Creativity and Artist Grants, the James Irvine Exploring Engagement Grant at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, a Research 
Fellowship at the Blum Initiative on Global Justice (UC San Diego), the Urbanisms of Inclusion Fellowship (IUAV di Venezia & The New School), and the Strategic Partnerships Grant (Bauhaus- Universität Weimar).  
 
Lawrence Weiner considered his language-based works sculpture.  He is celebrated for his approach to artmaking, treating language as a three-dimensional object, whose materiality and dimensionality extend to the many ways language resides in culture. The work can take on different meanings in different contexts as well as through the viewer’s individual lens and perception.  Weiner’s practice has been internationally recognized with solo exhibitions at institutions including the Pérez Art Museum Miami, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Haus der Kunst Munich, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Walker Art Center. He participated in multiple editions of Germany’s documenta and Venice Biennales, as well as the São Paulo Biennial. His honors included fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Wolfgang Hahn Prize, and an honorary doctorate from the City University of New York. 
 
We would like to thank Tae Hwang, Alice Weiner and Kirsten Weiner for agreeing to our collaboration. 
 
Download Press Release
Back to exhibitions