YUN HYONG-KEUN

Yun Hyong-keun produced a series of paintings in Umber and Blue from the 1970s onward and played a leading role in the Dansaekhwa movement. Beginning with signature works from the 1970s, when his Cheonjimun (Gate of Heaven and Earth) paintings took shape, the exhibition traces key works from his early period marked by lyrical hues through his later works, which evolved toward increasingly restrained forms. By bringing these works together, the exhibition considers both the changes and continuities that shaped Yun’s practice over the decades. The exhibition also presents archival materials centered on the spaces where Yun lived and worked, including his home and studio. Together, these works and archival materials offer a closer look at the connection between Yun’s everyday life and artistic practice, as well as his lifelong belief that “life is art and art is life.”

Yun Hyong-keun participated in major international exhibitions, including the São Paulo Biennale in 1969 and 1975, the Venice Biennale in 1995, and the Gwangju Biennale in 2000. In 2018, he became the first Dansaekhwa artist to have a major retrospective at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Seoul. The exhibition subsequently traveled to Palazzo Fortuny in Venice and received international attention. His works are held in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Leeum Museum of Art, Tate Modern in London, the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, among others. Nearly two decades after his passing, his work continues to receive international recognition from leading museums and collections around the world.