Chung Chang-Sup

Chung Chang-Sup, a first-generation master of Post-war Korean contemporary art, pursued a sense of beauty and identity in Korean art through the use of abstractness and Hanji paper. Starting with the 'Informel' art movement and progressing into the 'Monochrome' movement, he steadfastly incorporated Hanji paper into his artistic process. His artworks resonate with echoes of Korean tradition while establishing his unique artistic domain. He perpetually explored the harmonious combination of heterogeneous elements, bridging the traditional and the modern, the East and the West, and the intangible and the tangible. In his art, shapeless frames and hues of yellow, black, and adzuki bean gruel create a profound sense that many years have passed, enveloping viewers in absolute silence and captivation. The Korean traditional mulberry paper work developed from the 1970’s series ’歸’ which means ʻ Return’, to a series which consists of tapping and shaping of soaked mulberry paper onto a canvas, which was called ʻ楮’ meaning ʻTak’, in the 1980’s. Following the 1990’s such a series developed further into ʻ默考’ which means ʻMeditation’. Chung exhibited his works in prominent international art events and exhibitions including the Paris Biennale, Paris, France (1961) and Bienal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (1965), and took part in several major annual exhibitions on Korean art history. In 2010, there was a large-scale retrospective at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, South Korea. Currently, his works are in the collections of reputable art institutions, such as National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Gwacheon, South Korea; Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea; Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea; Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan; M+ Museum, Hong Kong, China; and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.