In an effort to create something of their own, authentic and unique, artists sometimes go to extremes. Someone nails themselves to Red Square, someone carves fallen autumn leaves…

Seo Young-Dyuk: Korean sculptor who creates masterpieces from bicycle chains

South Korean artist Seo Young-Dyok also found an unusual material for creating his sculptures – bicycle chains welded together in a special, proprietary way. How he constructs his giant, realistic installations from them is a secret, but the work is truly impressive.

Seo admits that he has always been amazed by the beauty of the human body, its structure, and curves. Therefore, the muse comes down to the master in crowded public places: squares, train stations, markets. The Dystopia series of sculptures clearly shows the meticulous sculpting of male and female figures and faces from chains. It’s hard to believe that all this is the result of welding work, the sculptures seem so alive. Through pose and facial expression, the artist strives to convey to the viewer this or that concept, life story.

The main remarkable thing of the collection is a two-meter head with closed eyes. The sculpture, made from two kilometers of bicycle chains, is called Nirvana and costs about 40 thousand dollars. Born in 1984, Seo Young-Dyuk graduated from Seoul University’s Department of Environmental Sculpture in 2008. Since then, inspired by the stark contrast between his rural upbringing and his current urban lifestyle, he has been creating his own unique installations. Young-Dyok’s first solo exhibition took place in 2015 in Italy.

Today, “chain” works are exhibited in the artist’s own salon. It is noteworthy that to make sculptures, Seo Young-Dyok uses not only bicycle chains, but also ordinary industrial stainless steel chains. Some works are stylized to look like rust to make them more colorful.