Huh Myeongwook

Huh Myoungwook (b. 1966) makes his own colors every morning, mixing the colors to convey his emotions at the time, and applying them, layer by layer, on the supporting background medium. He has carried out color experiments with diverse media to embody the colors of his desire, and after a long effort, he finally succeeded in creating the sensuous colors that he wanted through “Ottchil,” lacquer coating. For Huh, color is the emotion of that day, the medium that carries the day’s thoughts, and it is through such hues that he expresses his emotions. Therefore, every morning he begins his day by making colors. Without any special formative structure, he has used only the characteristics of color to add depth to the plane and build his unique formativeness. For example, in the case of the work in which primary blue covers the entire picture plane, the matière formed by the light, shadows, Ottchil, and canvas come together harmoniously within the abstract picture, giving it plastic form. Moreover, the viewers discover how the material of “Ott,” sap of the lacquer tree, is coated and demonstrates powerful material properties. The repeated shapes, particularly in his fabric works, also bring the tactility of the surface into relief. Through the labor-intensive process accompanying Ottchil, the artist not only creates materiality and tactility, but also conveys lyric sensibility through the colors. In short, Huh’s work is his “life.” That is because the sensuous colors he makes every morning, and the sequence of labor-intensive work, such as applying the lacquer, stacking, erasing and drying, ultimately represent his life. To the artist, who believes that art and life are profoundly connected, color is no different from a language used to tell his story to viewers.