An Exploration of the Human Body Through a Psychedelic Lens

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**Meeson Pae’s “Permeate” Exhibition: Exploring the Interconnectedness of Art, Science, and the Human Body**

**LOS ANGELES** — At the intersection of biological science and artistic expression lies *”Permeate,”* a cutting-edge solo exhibition by South Korean multimedia artist Meeson Pae. Hosted at the Anat Ebgi Gallery as part of the Getty’s prestigious Pacific Standard Time initiative (*PST: Art & Science Collide*), the exhibition delves deep into the ethereal, sometimes uncanny realms of human anatomy. Using an amalgamation of oil paintings, multimedia sculptures, and innovative video installations, Pae reimagines the human body as both a biological marvel and an aesthetic inspiration. It’s more than an art show — it’s a beckoning invitation to explore our inner worlds through the abstract lens of organ-like structures and microcosmic landscapes.

### The Convergence of Art and Anatomy

Upon entering the exhibition, you’re greeted by six paintings that surround two mesmerizing multimedia installations, constructing what feels like an immersive artistic anatomy lesson. These oil canvases are flanked by sculptures made from resin, steel, ink, and glass, embodying organic forms tied to the body’s intricate structures. In another adjacent room, a two-channel video project drives further intrigue, featuring minimalist, stainless steel tendrils cascading from the ceiling like delicate veins or neural synapses.

This multisensory experience, combining sight with sound and movement, invites visitors to interact with not only the art but also reflections of themselves, confronting their identities as biological entities. Pae’s manipulation of 3D-sculpting software enhances these visual experiences, as she captures and digitally isolates moments that appear to express growth and transformation. The suspended movements in her rendered videos echo the natural processes of the human body — as if one has shrunk to the size of a cell to witness the inner workings of life.

### Sculptural Homage to the Human Body

Throughout Pae’s *“Permeate”* installation, polished stainless steel plays a vital role in augmenting the thematic ties between science and art. The reflective surfaces of the metal sculptures are a stark reminder of the precision and complexity of our internal systems. These metal manifestations intermingle harmoniously with her abstract forms, bridging the gap between the clinical and the artistic — much like a surgical room sans the sterile environment of beeping machines.

For the viewer, the reflections on these metallic surfaces also serve as a powerful metaphor. They remind us of our own fragile existence, as we see ourselves, even distorted, through these mirrors. Both foreign and familiar, these reflections juxtapose with the soft, almost fleshy shapes of Pae’s resin works, all while evoking a certain tension between organic vulnerability and mechanical precision.

### The Personal Narrative Beneath the Surface

As rich and scientifically informed as Pae’s work is, it is impossible to disentangle it from her personal story. The artist’s experience with human anatomy is not merely clinical or artistic but deeply personal. Pae’s brother tragically succumbed to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when they were children, a fact that undoubtedly influences the emotional gravity behind her fascination with cellular anatomy and biological fragility.

For those viewers who have felt the acute sting of loss, particularly the kind stemming from the failure of the human body, her exhibition offers an emotional catharsis. It becomes clear that *”Permeate”* is not merely an analysis of biological wonder but also an homage to the body’s potential for life and the looming threat of its breakdown.

### Beauty and Tension: A Dialogue Between Form and Function

Pae’s works explore both the beauty and tragedy of human biology. In many pieces, she admittedly starts with cleaner, more skeletal forms before allowing imperfections and mutations to sculpt new directions. This aesthetic evolution is best exemplified in her “Ascend” and “Distill” pieces: hauntingly evolutionary landscapes where biological forms appear tense, fluid, and bursting with potential energy.

Her strategic use of metallic materials contrasts the perceived softness of flesh, suggesting a medicalized, almost clinical dissection of human vitality. In pieces like *“Bind”* (2024), her use of resin and stainless steel clamps gives the impression of tension, pressure, and containment, as if the sculptures are frozen in dynamic movements of internal growth or decay.

Pae also incorporated sound elements and dissonant rhythms into her exhibition to heighten this active tension. Her mixed-media sculpture *“Impulse,”* comprising video, polished steel, and resin, challenges us to not only observe the internal workings of our own biology but to feel them.

### An Invitation for Deeper Reflection

Through *”Permeate,”* Pae prompts us to appreciate the intricacy and vulnerability of our bodies, and the ways in which human biology mirrors the cosmos, filled with vast networks of microscopic cities.