Time Alone

14 May-15 Jun 2025

Black Glasses, 2025

Overview

JD Malat Gallery, London, is delighted to present Time Alone, the debut London solo exhibition by South Korean artist Han Ji Min (b. 1978, Jeollabuk-do), opening this May in the heart of Mayfair. Featuring 15 poignant oil compositions, this exhibition marks a significant milestone in Han's career, introducing London audiences to her serene, introspective world.

Employing her soft-edged depictions of figures in tranquil, peaceful environments, Han Ji Min explores the delicate contrasts between the external world and the inner emotional landscape. Through her signature use of near-achromatic hues of gentle greys, blues, pink, Han articulates the quiet tension of contemporary existence. These hues convey both emotional restraint and subtleties of hope, immersing viewers in a constructed space that borders the states of melancholy and tranquillity.

Time Alone exemplifies Han’s belief that “backs don’t lie.” Her subjects are often captured from behind; unaware and unguarded they offer viewers an intimate glimpse into the emotional honesty and vulnerability of ordinary moments. Through calm observation, Han brings the rhythm of the mundane into focus.

Each canvas becomes a mirror, not just of others but of ourselves. In drawing attention to the smallest details and the subconscious gestures of everyday life, Han invites us to reconsider the boundaries between observer and observed. Her serene visual language reflects her personal experiences and careful observation of contemporary Seoul, evoking the ambivalence of solitude, the poignancy of stillness, and the hope of human connection.

Time Alone, exhibited on the lower-ground floor of JD Malat Gallery London, offers collectors and viewers a rare opportunity to experience the unobtrusive power of Han Ji Min’s world. It is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the subtle beauty of our shared humanity.

Artists

Press

Time Alone press release
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