Epic in their explosive color yet confined within painted frames, the large-scale mixed-media paintings of Ken Gun Min capture the paradoxes of our beautifully complex world, where utopian idealism collides with dystopian realities. Through lush landscapes and tender portraits, Min orchestrates sublime scenes — both real and imagined — that draw from his experiences as a queer Korean immigrant in the U.S. Focusing on the emotion of his parafictional stories, Min showcases the moment of beauty before destruction, stirring feelings of uneasiness and awe. Ultimately, his works highlight the importance of seeing life in its entirety and remind viewers to offer gentleness to all journeying through this vast existence.

On raw canvases treated with gesso and Japanese bookbinding glue, Min applies a unique cross-cultural blend of materials, such as Western oils, Korean pigments, and hand-embroidered beads, that address his transition from South Korea to the U.S. and challenge the boundaries of painting and craft. These textural compositions, inspired by historical European paintings and East Asian textiles, evoke Min’s “queer utopia,” underpinned by the repressed histories and urban legends of Los Angeles. Depictions of animals such as lions, peacocks, and moths, adorned with gems and facing their demise, serve as allegories for the gentrification of local queer Asian hubs and as anthropomorphic symbols of “cruisers” or gay sex workers, whose lives are often at risk in their profession. While Min’s portrayals of male figures wading in water also allude to the tragic homophobic murders and disappearances of transgender people at a nearby lake, his centering of intimate, muscular men of color brings visibility to queer communities and offers new conceptions of masculinity, sexuality, and race.

Jan. 24 - June 22, 2025