Ha Chong-Hyun, Conjunction 21-38, 2021, Oil on hemp cloth, 162X130cm, Courtesy of the artist and Kukje Gallery. Photo : Chunho An, Image provided by Kukje Gallery.

Kukje Gallery is presenting a solo exhibition of Ha Chong-Hyun from February 15 through March 13, 2022. The exhibition is being held across all three of gallery's spaces (K1, K2, K3) in Seoul. This exhibition will introduce works from the 1990s to the present, showcasing his most well-known Conjunction series with an emphasis on recent multicolored pieces, as well as his Post-Conjunction series, the new works from the artist. While the Conjunction series are defined by an emphasis on the paint's material preperties, the Post-Conjunction series seems to invent new pictorial plane with his use of wooden sticks. Thus, this moves further from a two-dimensional surface, adding a sculptural quality.

A pioneer of Korean modernism, Ha Chong-Hyun is best known for his experiment with paint, the outcomes of his ongoing study of color and material. His Conjunction series started in the 1970s, he uses his own technique of applying the oil paint, creating the unique texture. This exhibition thus presents his commitment to exploring the infinite possibilies of painting.

Ha Chong-Hyun will hold a major retrospective exhibition with the nonprofit Instituzione Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice from April 21 to August 24, 2022, at the historical Palazzetto Tito during the Venice Biennale season.

About the Artist

He was born in 1935 in Sancheong, graduating from the Department of Painting at Hongik University in 1959. He later served as the Dean of the Fine Arts College at Hongik University(1990-1994) and the Director of the Seoul Museum of Art(2001-2006). As a founding member of Dansaekhwa, he participated in various group exhibitions. His works are housed in the collections of prominent institutions around the world.

For more information : Kukje Gallery