kukje Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of monochromatic painting master Ha Jonghyun. the exhibition will be held from March 20 to May 11, 2025, at Kukje Gallery K1 and Hanok Gallery, and will feature a total of 30 works from the artist’s signature series Conjunction and Post-Conjunction from 2009.This is the artist’s fourth solo exhibition after 2015, 2019, and 2022, and centers on the question of “what is painting” posed by the artist’s half-century of oil painting, and sheds light on his ongoing experimentation and exploration of materiality. this is an opportunity to discover Ha’s unique body of work that never stops evolving

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evolution and new interpretations of back pressure

the works in this exhibition are divided into two series, <Joining> and <Later Joinings>. in particular, the works created after 2009 show a greater variety of color and freedom of expression, unlike the monochromatic and static repetitive gestures of the earlier works. this shows the artist’s willingness to constantly experiment with the possibilities of materials and respond flexibly to the changes of the times rather than repeating a fixed style.Understanding Ha’s signature production method, the back-pressure method, is key to understanding the <Junction> series. the back-pressure method is a unique way of applying thick layers of paint to the back of a thick canvas sack and then pushing it to the front to apply color. unlike typical Western painting methods, it is labor-intensive by working on the back of the canvas, and can be interpreted as a process of interaction in which the artist’s actions and materials accumulate over time. the effect of chance is also an important element of this technique.The back pressure method is also related to the artist’s time period, as he began his career as a painter after the Korean War. the technique was born out of an experimental attempt to break the stereotypes of conventional painting by utilizing sacks of horsehair, which were readily available during the post-war period. This exhibition presents not only the existing series of works based on the back pressure method, but also new works that add new interpretations to the method and meaning. in particular, most of the works are being shown for the first time in Korea, highlighting how Ha is expanding his method of painting into today’s art grammar. For example, Conjunction 24-52 (2024) is reminiscent of the earlier Conjunction series, but with more refined white gradations and strong viscous paint drips that maximize the sense of color and three-dimensionality. the texture of the paint is characterized by compartmentalizing the screen and approaching the senses. There is also a change in the composition of the screen. while vertical brushstrokes dominated the previous works in the series, Conjunction 23-74 (2023) and Conjunction 22-90 (2022) showcase more free and calculated diagonal brushstrokes. these changes show that the artist’s experimentation is constantly evolving, in sync with the times

‘The Joy of Abundance’, an image of abundance

At the entrance to K1 is a series of paintings from the 2009 series, After Splicing. the artist describes these works as “the joy of a full ship,” and aims to express the emotion of joy through intense primary colors. The series is a result of transforming and expanding the back-pressure method used in the previous series in a new way. it shows a reinterpretation of not only the form of painting, but also the mode of expression itself. In this work, she uses wooden plywood instead of canvas sacks. the wood is cut into thin, straight strips, which are then wrapped in a variety of materials, including ink and painted hanji paper, mineral wood, stretcher cloth, and canvas cloth, and each piece is sequentially placed on the canvas. after squeezing oil paint on the edges, she adds another piece to make the paint spread through the gaps.The artist then adds oil paint or scratches on top of the spread paint to give it a sense of rhythm. through this process, she adds new elements to the existing <Junction> series, further expanding the expression of painting in line with the times. the artist defines her work as ‘the joy of all things’.

evolution and new interpretations of back pressure

‘The Joy of Abundance’, an image of abundance

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