87-year-old Ha Chong-hyun's exploration of materials never ceases

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Thu, December 7, 2023 | 19:49

Theater & Others

87-year-old Ha Chong-hyun's exploration of materials never ceases

Posted : 2022-02-16 15:15

Updated : 2022-02-16 23:50

Ha Chong-hyun, the 87-year-old trailblazer of Korean modern abstract art / Courtesy of Kukje Gallery

By Park Han-sol

"To this day, I have continued the fierce tug of war between the burlap canvas and paint. My artwork is born only when the two distinct materials collide with each other."

The oeuvre of Ha Chong-hyun, the 87-year-old trailblazer in Korean modern abstract art, can be best defined as a ceaseless exploration and experimentation with materials ― an artistic journey that has been heavily influenced by the country's turbulent history, following the 1950-53 Korean War.

In the 1960s, his use of hemp cloth from burlap bags for holding grain in lieu of a proper canvas ― along with barbed wire ― began during the post-Korean War period of poverty that made it virtually impossible for a working-class art student to purchase any imported ingredients.

But it was precisely this decision made based on the accessibility of materials that led Ha to invent a unique method, "baeapbeop," which later gave birth to his world-renowned, signature series, "Conjunction."

Ha Chong-hyun's "Conjunction 21-51" (2021) / Courtesy of the artist and Kukje Gallery

Literally translated as the back-pressure method, "baeapbeop" involves applying thick oil paint to the back of the hemp canvas and pushing it with the likes of wooden spatula through the cloth's coarse weave, thereby creating beads of paint seeping into the front surface. No matter what the resulting shape of the beads is, the artist embraces the outcome.

But the iconic series that launched his artistic career never stopped him from branching out even further.

"When taking a careful look at my works spanning decades, you can witness the sudden changes taking place every now and then. I just didn't want to stay in one place," Ha said at Kukje Gallery in central Seoul, Tuesday, where his ongoing solo exhibition traces his relentless evolution from the original "Conjunction" series, with muted tones, to the incorporation of vibrant multi colors, and finally, to the "Post-Conjunction" series.

"Throughout my career, when one of my artistic practices [started getting recognition] and resulting in sales, I would move on to a different one that had no demand. Sure, that didn't always put food on the table, but I think it was worth it in the end."

Ha Chong-hyun's "Conjunction 21-38" (2021) / Courtesy of the artist and Kukje Gallery

While his earlier "Conjunction" pieces utilized muted, earthy tones recalling Korean history and collective memories ― traditional "giwa" or roof tiles that have withstood the test of time, white porcelain and silver grass fields ― Ha began incorporating more spirited colors in the mid-2010s.

The colored series inside the gallery is awash with rich hues of crimson red and ocean blue, to which the artist has made several tweaks here and there to smudge and spread the paint, even scorching it by holding a gasoline-soaked torch near the wet surface.

The latest "Post-Conjunction" series takes one step further by aligning thinly cut wooden sticks either vertically or horizontally on the canvas, after applying oil paint underneath or in between these pieces. As a result, the colorful paint seeps out to the surface, giving a chance for the artist to either leave it as-is or scratch it with free will to add more rhythmic dynamics.

"I realize that there aren't that many people like me left who still hold the brush like I do at the age of nearly 90," Ha said.

"Noticing my paintings pile up in a storage vault, I used to wish that they would sell well. But now, I'm scared to see them be all scattered all over … I hope there can be one space dedicated to a collection of my pieces, showing the traces that I, as a person, was able to leave behind."

Meanwhile, after Kukje Gallery's exhibition, "Ha Chong-Hyun," which runs through March 13, a major retrospective on Ha's work is scheduled to kick off at the historical Palazzetto Tito in Venice from April 21 to Aug. 24 during this year's Venice Biennale.

Ha Chong-hyun's "Post-Conjunction 11-3" (2011) / Courtesy of the artist and Kukje Gallery

hansolp@koreatimes.co.kr