Chun Kwang Young

b. 1944, South Korea

Chun Kwang Young is one of the most striking and original figures in the Korean art scene. His work is a kind of meditation, integrating the two enigmas that constitute the ends of the universe: on one hand, the infinitely small and the intimate and, on the other hand, the world and collective consciousness.

Originally from Hongcheon in South Korea, this aficionado was born in the midst of a political maelstrom, before the departure of Japanese forces, in a country suffering through war. He studied fine arts at the University of Hongik in Seoul and then received an MA from the Philadelphia College of Arts in 1971. Named artist of the year by the South Korean National Museum of Contemporary Art, he received the Presidential Prize from the Ministry of Culture in his country in 2009. He discovered pop art, colour field and action painting in the United States and threw himself wholeheartedly into abstract expressionism. Initially a painter, he soon felt the need to express himself in a more singular manner that was close to his roots. He began his shift towards his aggregation works (a style unique to him) as a result of this intuition.

Chun Kwang Young assembles hundreds of differently sized triangles wrapped in traditional Handji paper. These methodical and delicate aggregations are used to compose three-dimensional paintings and sculptures. As a child, he watched how his grandfather, a doctor, wrapped medications in this traditional hanji paper, which is made from the bark of the mulberry tree. Ubiquitous and familiar in Korean culture and day-to-day life, it is admired for its strength and durability. In Seoul, gifts are not packaged in boxes, but are wrapped in this hanji paper. It is used as a medium for writing and thinking and, as a result, exudes a spiritual dimension. The artist folds sheets with Korean or Chinese inscriptions. They are between 50 and 100 years old and have experienced and been used and handled by many people. This aspect is linked to the concept of jeong, a concept that expresses the love and attention of those who share the same space. It is an expression of the deep benevolence that makes Korea what it is.

The aggregation works are like mysterious puzzles and come in various shapes and colours. It is tireless, painstaking work that unveils subtle messages and boasts a great deal of humanity. These complex arrangements, which are like many abstract, multidimensional systems, have the same core goal: a desire to connect each small triangle to a much larger whole, like cells in a single body. Chun Kwang Young is sensitive to individual stories, while remaining focused on the history, complexity and development of Korean society as a whole and the fundamental concept of unity.

Chun Kwang Young is one of the most striking and original figures in the Korean art scene. His work is a kind of meditation, integrating the two enigmas that constitute the ends of the universe: on one hand, the infinitely small and the intimate and, on the other hand, the world and collective consciousness.

Originally from Hongcheon in South Korea, this aficionado was born in the midst of a political maelstrom, before the departure of Japanese forces, in a country suffering through war. He studied fine arts at the University of Hongik in Seoul and then received an MA from the Philadelphia College of Arts in 1971. Named artist of the year by the South Korean National Museum of Contemporary Art, he received the Presidential Prize from the Ministry of Culture in his country in 2009. He discovered pop art, colour field and action painting in the United States and threw himself wholeheartedly into abstract expressionism. Initially a painter, he soon felt the need to express himself in a more singular manner that was close to his roots. He began his shift towards his aggregation works (a style unique to him) as a result of this intuition.

Chun Kwang Young assembles hundreds of differently sized triangles wrapped in traditional Handji paper. These methodical and delicate aggregations are used to compose three-dimensional paintings and sculptures. As a child, he watched how his grandfather, a doctor, wrapped medications in this traditional hanji paper, which is made from the bark of the mulberry tree. Ubiquitous and familiar in Korean culture and day-to-day life, it is admired for its strength and durability. In Seoul, gifts are not packaged in boxes, but are wrapped in this hanji paper. It is used as a medium for writing and thinking and, as a result, exudes a spiritual dimension. The artist folds sheets with Korean or Chinese inscriptions. They are between 50 and 100 years old and have experienced and been used and handled by many people. This aspect is linked to the concept of jeong, a concept that expresses the love and attention of those who share the same space. It is an expression of the deep benevolence that makes Korea what it is.

The aggregation works are like mysterious puzzles and come in various shapes and colours. It is tireless, painstaking work that unveils subtle messages and boasts a great deal of humanity. These complex arrangements, which are like many abstract, multidimensional systems, have the same core goal: a desire to connect each small triangle to a much larger whole, like cells in a single body. Chun Kwang Young is sensitive to individual stories, while remaining focused on the history, complexity and development of Korean society as a whole and the fundamental concept of unity.

Chun Kwang Young assembles hundreds of differently sized triangles wrapped in traditional Handji paper. These methodical and delicate aggregations are used to compose three-dimensional paintings and sculptures. As a child, he watched how his grandfather, a doctor, wrapped medications in this traditional hanji paper, which is made from the bark of the mulberry tree. Ubiquitous and familiar in Korean culture and day-to-day life, it is admired for its strength and durability. In Seoul, gifts are not packaged in boxes, but are wrapped in this hanji paper. It is used as a medium for writing and thinking and, as a result, exudes a spiritual dimension. The artist folds sheets with Korean or Chinese inscriptions. They are between 50 and 100 years old and have experienced and been used and handled by many people. This aspect is linked to the concept of jeong, a concept that expresses the love and attention of those who share the same space. It is an expression of the deep benevolence that makes Korea what it is.

The aggregation works are like mysterious puzzles and come in various shapes and colours. It is tireless, painstaking work that unveils subtle messages and boasts a great deal of humanity. These complex arrangements, which are like many abstract, multidimensional systems, have the same core goal: a desire to connect each small triangle to a much larger whole, like cells in a single body. Chun Kwang Young is sensitive to individual stories, while remaining focused on the history, complexity and development of Korean society as a whole and the fundamental concept of unity.

— Selected works