The Nahrah Gallery on Center St., curated by John Kim, recently unveiled new work by Korean-born artist Tai Hwa Goh in an exhibit called “Suspicious Seed.”
Goh, a graduate of the University of Maryland, also studied at Seoul National University in Korea. Her fine-arts background is in printmaking and sculpture, and her skill in both was evident in the pieces that were displayed at Nahrah Gallery last month.
Her work is also part of several permanent collections, including the Washington, D.C. City Hall, the Lower East Side Print Shop and the University of Maryland.
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Goh’s work is done on a thin Korean paper called Soon-Ji. She makes a print and then, to create a layering, palimpsest effect, she irons thin sheets of beeswax onto the top in order to obscure the image. The beeswax sheets are often also ironed or mounted onto wood, adding a richer texture. Her treatment of paper as a sculptural medium strikes this reviewer as innovative, and the effect of the paper layers is ethereal and beautiful.
Interestingly, although many of Goh’s images resemble real-life figures such as landscapes, insects or fruits, they are not meant to depict anything literally—only to suggest. The whole of the piece, which ends up meandering over the wall, ends up looking otherworldly, yet familiar, something like a drop of pond water viewed through a microscope. She is disciplined about walking a certain line in art: avoiding concrete imagery, yet never becoming totally abstract.
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According to Goh, her method of layering images is meant to evoke the sense of memory—of the accumulation of experiences and thoughts over a lifetime. Indeed, the pieces are “deep;” they instill a profound thoughtfulness in the viewer.
Goh has termed all of her works “series of the imagination”—a way for the viewer to practice self-discovery. Such self-reflection fits in perfectly with the peaceful aesthetic of this small gallery, a lesser-known and lovely feature of the Fort Lee arts community. Nahrah is located on a residential street amid homes—and blends in easily with them—with hedges in front. Its ample wall space inside is softly lit over pine floorboards, and the prevailing mood in the space is calm.
Nahrah Gallery, which has been active in Fort Lee for almost four years, was founded by Kwanghyun (John) Kim, who lives in the gallery building with his wife.
Tai Hwa Goh’s exhibition closed on May 31, but local artists and their representation are encouraged to contact the gallery with inquiries about future shows.
Nahrah Gallery: 1605 Center Avenue (at Hoym Street)
Tel: 201-944-1047
Fax: 201-944-1048
