For over six decades, pioneering artist Ha Chong-Hyun (b. 1935) has explored what painting becomes when freed from all existing conventions. Ha’s work prizes the interaction of his materials: using pressure, gravity, and tools ranging from torches to everyday utensils, he transforms the surfaces of canvases up to eight feet tall into a treasure trove of texture and physicality. His first museum exhibition in North America, Ha Chong-Hyun: Retrospective offers an unprecedented look at the creative evolution of one of Korea’s most influential contemporary artists.
About Ha Chong-Hyun
Ha Chong-Hyun has lived and worked in Seoul since graduating from Hongik University in 1959. Awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the institution, he served as Dean of the Fine Arts College at Hongik University (1990–1994) and later served as Director of the Seoul Museum of Art (2003–2006). His work has appeared in major Biennale exhibitions worldwide and at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon; the Denver Art Museum; the Song Art Museum, Beijing; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Brooklyn Museum, New York; the Erarta Museum, St. Petersburg; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Fondazione Mudima, Milan. His works are included in the permanent collections of the Guggenheim; the Art Institute of Chicago; M+, Hong Kong; the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima; and the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul.
Exhibition Organization
Ha Chong-Hyun: Retrospective is organized by the Asian Art Museum and guest curator Sunjung Kim, Artistic Director of Art Sonje Center, with assistance from Art Sonje Center’s curatorial team.
Presenting sponsorship is provided by SK∙PODO Museum.
Generous support is provided by Tina Kim Gallery and Kukje Gallery.
Major support is provided by Canal Projects and the Kahng Foundation.
Additional support is provided by Esther and Thomas “Tom” Lee.
Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions and the Kao/Williams Contemporary Art Exhibitions Fund.
About the Asian Art Museum
Located in the heart of San Francisco, the museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Asian and Asian American art, with more than 20,000 awe-inspiring works ranging from ancient jades and ceramics to contemporary video installations. Dynamic special exhibitions, cultural celebrations, and public programs for all ages provide rich art experiences that unlock the past and spark questions about the future.
