Installation view of 《Ha Chong-Hyun》 ©Kukje GalleryKukje Gallery presents 《Ha Chong-Hyun》, a solo exhibition of the
pioneering Korean modernist, until May 11 at K1 and Hanok. This solo exhibition
examines the artist’s continuous experimentation with oil paint and his
commitment to exploring the materiality of painting over the past half-century.
The foundation for this rigorous commitment is Ha’s ongoing inquiry into the
fundamental question: "What is painting?"
Through a selection of approximately 30
works created between 2009 and the present, the exhibition includes various
iterations of his renowned ‘Conjunction’ series—from his original monochromatic
works to more recent works characterized by colorful adaptations, vibrant
gestures, and naturalism. It also features major works from his ‘Post-Conjunction’
series, initiated in 2009, bringing together two continuously evolving and
expanding pillars of Ha’s storied artistic practice.
Installation view of 《Ha Chong-Hyun》 ©Kukje GalleryBeginning in the 1970s, Ha’s ‘Conjunction’
series evolved to become his most significant body of work, sustaining his
disciplined inquiry over the last 50 years. For this ongoing series, he
developed his labor-intensive practice called bae-ap-bub (背押法, “back pressure method”), wherein he applied thick paint to the
back side of paintings before pressing the pigment through the coarse hemp
cloth to the front, imbuing a spatial quality to the flat canvas.
This exhibition presents Ha’s latest works
from the ‘Conjunction’ series that introduce new variations in methodology and
meaning while maintaining his signature method of bae-ap-bub and form. As an
example, in the recent ‘Conjunction’ works, the artist highlights gradations
mixed between the brush strokes made on the back of the canvas and bright
colors added to the front, reflecting his renewed focus on color.
Unlike the original ‘Conjunction’ series,
which often employed the hues commonly found in traditional Korean objects such
as roof tiles or white porcelain, these newer paintings adopt a more
contemporary palette inspired by our everyday surroundings, firmly distancing
the work from any symbolic associations.
Installation view of 《Ha Chong-Hyun》 ©Kukje GalleryIn addition to his ongoing dialogue with
color, Ha Chong-Hyun has also attempted to reinterpret his long-standing
relationship with mark-making. A striking example of this is Conjunction
23-74 (2023), a work being shown to a Korean audience for the first
time. While his earlier ‘Conjunction’ series featured mostly vertical,
column-like gestures, this painting is filled with energetic, yet somewhat
calculated diagonal brushstrokes.
The exhibition also presents works from his
‘Post-Conjunction’ series that, according to the artist, embody vibrant,
primary colors akin to the “joy of a fully loaded ship”—a phrase referencing
the exhilaration of abundance. In these pieces, Ha not only expands upon the
method of bae-ap-bub essential to his ‘Conjunction’ series but also delves into
reinterpreting his attitude and approach towards color, form, and pictorial
space within painting.
Throughout his artistic career, Ha
Chong-Hyun has resisted being confined to a single category, focusing instead
on exploring materials and their inherent properties, thus expanding the
definition of painting. Not only has he resisted traditional definitions, but
he also liberated himself from his own established methods and techniques.
