Ha Chong-Hyun, 〈Conjunction 18-12〉, 2018. Oil on hemp cloth, 227x182cm. ©Kukje Gallery

Kukje Gallery presents 《Ha Chong-Hyun》, on view from May 29 to July 28, 2019, at the gallery’s Busan space. Ha Chong-Hyun showcases over ten recent works and marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in Korea in nearly four years, and his first in Busan. Ha has a long relationship with the Yeongnam region in which Busan and Daegu are located, having been in the group exhibition 《Renegades in Resistance and Challenge》 at Daegu Art Museum (2018) and the Busan Biennale (2016). Best known for his experimentation with paint and commitment to asking, “what is painting?” Ha’s exhibition in Busan focuses on works from his celebrated 〈Conjunction〉 series, with special emphasis on his expanding exploration of color as well as his innovative use of smoke and fire to transform the surface of his paintings. For his exhibition in Busan, Ha’s use of red, blue, and vermillion shows the artist’s commitment to exploring colors seen in mundane surroundings in Korea. In particular, the vermillion color is new, having become part of Ha’s practice only last year. The vivid, red-orange color seen in 〈Conjunction 18-12〉 (2018) was inspired by the colorful patterns known as "dancheong" that are used to decorate wooden structures and traditional Korean musical instruments. This will be the first time Ha is showing a painting using this color in Korea.

Further information:
https://www.kukjegallery.com/KJ_exhibitions_view_1.php?page=current&ex_no=219&v=1&w_no=0