Ha Chong-Hyun

Ha Chong-Hyun (b. 1935) is a leading figure in Korean contemporary art and a central pioneer of the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement. For more than five decades, he has redefined painting through his focus on materials, process, and physical gesture. He is best known for his Conjunction series, begun in 1974, in which he forces thick oil paint through coarse hemp cloth, allowing it to surface through the weave. This physically demanding technique makes his paintings tactile, nearly sculptural. A graduate of Hongik University, where he later served as Dean, Ha’s practice evolved from earlier explorations in Art Informel, geometric abstraction, and experimental object-based work. In 1969 he co-founded the Korean Avant-Garde Association, advocating for new directions in post-war Korean art and challenging academic conventions. His work distinguishes itself from Western minimalism through its emphasis on a contemplative sensibility often linked to East Asian philosophy. 

His work has been shown internationally, including at the Venice and São Paulo Biennales, and is held in permanent collections of several institutions, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, M+ in Hong Kong, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Hiroshima, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea.