Ha Chong-Hyun Retrospective Exhibition Opens in San Francisco, USA... First overseas art museum exhibition

“It’s interesting how the paint is pushed forward from the back of the canvas.”

At the press preview event for Ha Jong-hyun's (91) retrospective held at the Asian Art Museum (AAM) in San Francisco on the 22nd (local time).

As AAM director So-young Lee explained the back-pressure method of cutting the gunny sacks that US soldiers used to carry military grains, turning them into canvas, applying paint to the back of the canvas, then crushing it with a rolling pin and pushing it to the front, local reporters brought their faces close to the screen and observed the work.

About 20 local reporters visited the event on this day. In the Q&A that followed after the viewing, the reporters asked who Ha Jong-hyun was influenced by and what his thoughts were.

Nichi Bei Times reporter Ben Hamamoto, who met at the event, said, "It was visually stunning and the unique texture was impressive. I had seen pictures beforehand, but it was completely different from seeing it in person."

Starting on the 25th (local time), AAM will hold a large-scale exhibition by Ha Chong-hyun, a master of Korean monochrome painting, titled ‘Ha Chong-hyun: A Retrospective.’ This is Ha Chong-hyun’s first retrospective exhibition at an overseas museum.

AAM, where the exhibition is held, is the place with the largest collection of works by Asian and Asian American artists in the United States.

It established the first Korean art gallery in the United States and created a separate academic department dedicated to Korean art to systematically research and exhibit Korean art since the 1970s.

Director Lee, who has led AAM since last year, said, "This is an exhibition I really wanted to do as it is Ha Jong-hyun's first retrospective at an overseas museum. From the director's perspective, it is important to attract a large number of visitors, and I also judged that these are works that would be loved by American audiences."

Kim Seon-jeong, artistic director of the Art Sonje Center, participated as an invited curator in this exhibition. Director Kim explained, “Rather than simply labeling Ha Jong-hyun as a monochrome painter, we created an exhibition that shows that he is an artist who does a variety of works.”

The exhibition chronicles Ha Jong-hyun's work and highlights his artistic trajectory within the major trends of Korean contemporary art, which includes Informel (atypical), geometric abstraction, experimental art, and monochrome painting.

Ha Jong-hyun was born in Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do in 1935 and graduated from the Department of Painting at Hongik University in 1959.

His early works and works from the time he was active in the Korean Avant-Garde Association (AG), which was founded in 1969, show experiments that cross object, installation, abstract, and conceptual art.

A large number of works from the 'Conjunction' series, which made Ha Jong-hyun's name known to the world art world, will also be displayed. The conjunction, which started in 1974, changes over time. In the 1980s, a detailed and homogeneous surface effect stood out as power was distributed evenly across the screen, and after the 1990s, with the advent of dark blue, the artist's physical actions were brought to the fore through thicker paint layers, active brushstrokes, and hieroglyph-like symbols.

In the 'post-convergence' that has been ongoing since 2010, we can see the aspect of continuing new formative experiments rather than resting on past achievements.

A variety of attempts are shown, such as wrapping a thin piece of wood with canvas and pressing it hard with a stick to allow paint to flow through the cracks, collaging fabric on the surface where the paint has been pushed out (a technique of composing a screen by attaching materials such as paper and cloth), and using mirrors instead of canvas.

The highlight is the new work of Ha Jong-hyun, who is over 90 years old. In this exhibition, 'Conjunction 25-19', completed last year, and 'Conjunction 26-14' and 'Later Conjunction 26-503' produced this year are newly introduced.

In 'Junction 25-19', the vivid, dark blue color at the top of the screen gradually becomes lighter as it moves down, transitioning naturally to white at the bottom. Changes in color shading and density create an atmosphere as if light or fog is descending.

On the other hand, 'Junction 26-14' filled the screen with an overwhelming and intense red color. The pushed out paint creates subtle differences in texture and density instead of a uniform color field, and the powerful brushstrokes reveal the still hot energy of the aging artist.

'Ihu Junction 26-503' creates a strong contrast with the colorful five colors peeking out between the black ink spread vertically. He creates a unique visual rhythm by crossing between two-dimensional and three-dimensional, oil painting and ink, and Western and Oriental painting techniques.

Director Lee said, “Even a museum security guard who has worked for over 40 years said it was the most special work he had ever seen,” and added, “I am confident that this is an exhibition that will show American visitors amazing new works by Korean masters.”