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Chun Kwang Young

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b. 1944, South Korea

Chun Kwang Young is a contemporary South Korean artist recognised for his 'Aggregations' (1995–ongoing) series of tactile sculptural compositions that are made of multiple minute triangular forms wrapped in mulberry paper. The richly textured surfaces of these 'Aggregations' are reminiscent of the stalactites of caves or the moon with its crater-like hollows.

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Chun graduated from Seoul's Hongik University in 1968, but in 1971 he moved to the United States to undertake a master's course at the Philadelphia College of Art. There, he was drawn to Abstract Expressionism, which, in his own words, 'seemed to be the best way to freely express my surprise and sadness at witnessing the huge gap between idea and reality'. Liberated from the rigid rules of traditional art, Chun began to interrogate the medium of painting in works such as ONT-010-73-43 (1973), in which long, expressionist brush strokes of many hues frame the rectangular opening of vivid red in the centre.

Increasingly dissatisfied with his work Chun returned to Korea in the second half of the 1970s. He continued to make abstract paintings, experimenting with clashing coloured stripes in works such as ONT-085 (1978) or short, stumpy strokes in ONT-093 (1986). However, Chun grew discontented with Abstract Expressionism and sought to find his own unique voice while acknowledging his Korean upbringing.

A solution came in 1995 in the form of hanji, a Korean traditional paper made from mulberry. The artist developed a process of cutting small modular forms in polystyrene and wrapping them in this paper, which he would then dye with tea or other colouring agents. These he would attach to a support to create assemblages that are now known as part of his signature 'Aggregations' series. His use of hanji was inspired by a recollection of childhood memories, when he would visit a traditional apothecary and see little hanji packages—each containing different medicinal herbs—hanging from the ceiling. For Chun, hanji signifies the Korean ethos he wished to convey.

The 'Aggregation' works vary in colour, from the monochromatic light brown in Aggregation 95-06 (1995) to shades of cool blue and green in Aggregation 18-AP027 (2018). Chun has also expanded their forms over the decades; in his solo exhibition Collisions: Information, Harmony and Conflict at Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Singapore, in 2019, for example, he presented wall hangings (such as Aggregation 19-JU45, 2019), but he has also presented free-standing sculptures as part of the series in the past. In 'Aggregations', each hanji-wrapped piece signifies the basic unit of information, while the Chinese and Korean characters printed on them allude to generations of knowledge.

Solo exhibitions of Chun's work have been held at Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeongju (2016); PKM Gallery, Seoul (2018); and Brooklyn Museum, New York (2018). In 2009, Chun received the Presidential Prize in the 41st Korean Culture and Art Prize from the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Ocula | 2019

Recent Exhibitions

Contemporary art exhibition, Group exhibition, What You See Is What You See at Pearl Lam Galleries, Singapore Closed 1–31 March 2019 Group exhibition What You See Is What You See Singapore
Contemporary art exhibition, Chun Kwang Young, Chun Kwang Young at Pearl Lam Galleries, Pedder Street, Hong Kong, SAR, China Closed 14 September–26 October 2017 Chun Kwang Young Pedder Street, Hong Kong
Contemporary art exhibition, Group Exhibition, Materialised Sentiments at Pearl Lam Galleries, Shanghai, China Closed 17 January–13 March 2016 Group Exhibition Materialised Sentiments Shanghai
Contemporary art exhibition, Chun Kwang Young, Aggregation at Pearl Lam Galleries, Singapore Closed 28 November 2015–3 January 2016 Chun Kwang Young Aggregation Singapore

Recent Artworks

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Aggregation 19-JA004 聚合19-JA004 by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 19-JA004 聚合19-JA004, 2019 Mixed media with Korean mulberry paper
229 x 183 cm
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Aggregation 19-JA008 聚合19-JA008 by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 19-JA008 聚合19-JA008, 2019 Mixed media with Korean mulberry paper
162 x 131 cm
Pearl Lam Galleries Contact Gallery
Aggregation 18-AU049 聚合18-AU049 by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 18-AU049 聚合18-AU049, 2018 Mixed media with Korean mulberry paper
148 x 210 cm
Pearl Lam Galleries Contact Gallery
Aggregation 15-SE025 (Star5) by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 15-SE025 (Star5), 2015 Mixed Media
Pearl Lam Galleries Contact Gallery
Aggregation 15-FE010 (Dream 3) 聚合 15-FE010(夢三) by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 15-FE010 (Dream 3) 聚合 15-FE010(夢三), 2015 Mixed media with Korean Mulberry paper
101 x 101 cm
Pearl Lam Galleries Contact Gallery
Aggregation 17-AU041 (Star 15) 聚合17-AU041 (星15) by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 17-AU041 (Star 15) 聚合17-AU041 (星15), 2017 Mixed media with Korean Mulberry paper
Pearl Lam Galleries Contact Gallery
Aggregation 08 - F001 聚合 08-F001 by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 08 - F001 聚合 08-F001, 2008 Mixed media with Korean Mulberry paper
194 x 161 cm
Pearl Lam Galleries Contact Gallery
Aggregation 002-MA1108 聚合002-MA1108 by Chun Kwang Young contemporary artwork mixed media
Chun Kwang Young Aggregation 002-MA1108 聚合002-MA1108, 2002 Mixed media with Korean Mulberry paper
201 x 76 cm
Pearl Lam Galleries Contact Gallery
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Recent Artworks View All (22) Recent Artworks

Chun Kwang Young In Ocula Magazine

Chun Kwang Young: Full Spectrum Ocula Insight Chun Kwang Young: Full Spectrum By Tessa Moldan, London

Sundaram Tagore Gallery presents the latest of Chun Kwang Young's 'Aggregations' series in the online show, Full Spectrum.

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Singapore Lowdown: Shows to See in 2020 Ocula Feature Singapore Lowdown: Shows to See in 2020 By Tessa Moldan, Singapore

Singapore Art Week returns from 11 to 19 January 2020 with a host of island-wide events, at the centre of which is the second edition of S.E.A. Focus (16–19 January 2020) at Gillman Barracks, showcasing the best of contemporary art in Southeast Asia.

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Chun Kwang Young In Related Press

Sundaram Tagore Gallery Presents Intricate Mulberry Paper Works from Korean Artist Chun Kwang Young Related Press Sundaram Tagore Gallery Presents Intricate Mulberry Paper Works from Korean Artist Chun Kwang Young 7 May 2018, Art & Object

Chun Kwang Young's solo show, Aggregation, opened 3 May 2018 at Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York. Chun's otherworldly assemblages incorporate both sculpture and painting. His freestanding sculpture

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'Structures of Recollection: Contemporary Approaches to Materials and Memory' at Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong Related Press 'Structures of Recollection: Contemporary Approaches to Materials and Memory' at Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong 23 April 2016, ArtAsiaPacific

Exploring the idea of memory recollection, Paul Moorhouse, curator of 20th-century art at London’s National Portrait Gallery, drew together six international artists for Structures of Recollection: Contemporary Approaches to Materials and Memory,  currently showing at Pearl Lam Galleries in Hong Kong. Moorhouse’s curatorial...

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Chun Kwang Young In Video & Audio

Kwang Young Chun - Mulberry Mindscapes Related Video & Audio Kwang Young Chun - Mulberry Mindscapes 7 April 2020, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art

Kwang Young Chun is considered to be a contemporary master working with paper and is widely recognized for his installations and three-dimensional reliefs. Beck & Eggeling presents the Korean artist f

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