Ha Chong-Hyun (b. 1935), a leading member of the Dansaekhwa group, began his Conjunction series in 1970s post-war Korea and has dedicated his practice to this series ever since. Conjunction refers to the physical connection between the two most important elements of his practice, his methods and his materials, and how the two are intertwined, or ‘conjoined.’ The burlap he began to substitute in place of the more traditional canvas after the Korean War allows him to approach each painting from the reverse, pushing thick paint through the loose weave. The oil paint then emerges from the front, creating a texture that has become entirely unique to Ha’s practice. Though he has maintained these practical methods for decades, Ha continues to experiment in his works, incorporating new colors and abstract patterns.
Born in Sancheong, Korea in 1935, Ha Chong-Hyun has lived and worked in Seoul since graduating
from Hongik University in 1959. Awarded an honorary doctorate degree, he served as the Dean of
the Fine Arts College at his alma mater from 1990 to 1994. From 2001 to 2006, Ha was the Director
of the Seoul Museum of Art. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Kukje Gallery, Seoul
(2022, 2015); Almine Rech Gallery, London, (2020, 2017); Daejeon Museum of Art, Korea (2020);
Kukje Gallery, Busan (2019); Cardi Gallery, Milan (2019); Blum & Poe, Tokyo (2019); Tina Kim
Gallery, New York (2018, 2015); Almine Rech Gallery, Paris (2017) ; Blum & Poe, Los Angeles,
(2016); Blum and Poe, New York (2014); and the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
(2012); among others. Ha Chong-Hyun has presented in group exhibition at the Museum of
Modern Art, New York (2019); the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South
Korea (2019); Song Art Museum, Beijing, China (2019); Powerlong Art Museum, Shanghai, (2018);
Daegu Art Museum, Korea (2018); The Warehouse, Dallas, (2018); Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery,
Tokyo (2017); Erarta Museum, St. Petersburg (2017); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2017); and the
Seoul Museum of Art, Korea (2017), among others. His work can be found in the collections of
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Art Institute of
Chicago; Centre Pompidou, France; M+, Hong Kong; Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Japan;
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Japan; Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima, Japan;
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; Leeum Museum of Art, Korea; Seoul
Museum of Art, Korea; and Gwangju Museum of Art, Korea; among others.
