Ha Chong-hyun, 〈Conjunction 18-07〉, 2018. Oil on hemp, 35 7/8 x 28 3/4 inches. ⓒHa Chong-hyun and Blum & Poe

Ha Chong-hyun is one of the pioneering figures in the postwar art history of Korea. Amid the extreme material deprivations and an authoritarian political system during the 1960s and 1970s, he explored the potential of unorthodox materials such as newsprint, scrap lumber, and barbed wire attached to canvas. In 1974, he began to focus on the materiality of paint and canvas as more than a mere support through the 'Conjunction' series. In these works he uses tools to push monochrome oil paint through the back of coarsely woven burlap so that it protrudes through the surface. Thereafter he brushes or smears the paint into a wide variety of abstract compositions. This exhibition presents new and recent works from the 'Conjunction' series that use rich hues of blue, red, and orange, as well as paintings that Ha made by holding a flame to the surface, altering the chemical makeup of the paint. Once the white surface has turned a smoky grey, the artist scrapes away horizontal or vertical lines to reveal the untouched white pigment beneath. This is Ha’s third solo show with the gallery, and his first solo presentation in Tokyo in fifteen years.

Further information :
https://ocula.com/art-galleries/blum-poe/exhibitions/ha-chong-hyun-tokyo-2019/