Gallery Hyundai is very pleased to announce the 45th Anniversary of Gallery Hyundai- Korean Abstract Painting. We will present myriad works by 18 Korean abstract painters since 1960s-1970s and reflect the historical flow and evolution of abstract painting in Korea. Gallery Hyundai first opened in Insadong on April 4th, 1970, determined to expose and commercialize Korean modern art. Starting from Nam Kwan’s solo exhibition in 1972, Gallery Hyundai consistently facilitated and advocated exhibitions for abstract artists. From then on forth, there were countless solo exhibitions, including the ones of these 18 artists: RHEE Seundja (1974), SUH Seok (1974), YOO Youngkuk (1975), LEE Ungno (1975), KIM Tschangyeul (1976), HAN Mook (1976), KIM Whanki (1977), LEE Ufan (1978), PARK Seobo (1981), KWON Youngwoo (1982), Quac Insik (1982), CHUNG Sanghwa (1983), HA Chonghyun (1984), KIM Guiline (1989), RYU Kyungchai (1990), Yun Hyongkeun (1996), CHUNG Changsup (1996).
Holding significant exhibitions as listed below, Gallery Hyundai drew international spotlight on Korean abstract art: Korean Contemporary Arts: Unique Methods of Exhibit by Four Artists (LEE Ufan, YUN Hyongkeun, KIM Tschangyeul, PARK Seobo) in 1979, Korean Monochrome Painting in the 1970s (CHUNG Changsup, CHUNG Sanghwa, HA Chonghyun, KIM Guiline) in 1996, Korean Contemporary Art 1970-90 (KIM Whanki, KIM Chongyoung, YOO Youngkuk, YUN Hyongkeun, SUH Seok, KIM Tschangyeul, PARK Seobo, LEE Ufan) in 2001, Poetry in Motion (CHUNG Sanghwa, KIM Tschangyeul, KIM Whanki, LEE Ufan, John Bae, PAIK Namjune, PARK Seobo, SHIN Sunghee, SUH Seok), co-produced and curated by Gallery Beyeler for Swiss Basel in 2007.
Classified by different aesthetic expressions and artists’ age, this exhibition presents four different contemporary art veins. The first group is comprised of first generation modernists (KIM Whanki, YOO Youngkuk and RYU Kyungchai) who transformed and modernized traditional Korean aesthetics into pure flat colors and forms. During prolific times of Korean Modernism in 18th and 19th century, masters of calligraphy abstraction (NAM Kwan and LEE Ungno) reinterpreted and re-appropriated prevalent images from Korean traditional painting and calligraphy painting by employing vernacular expressions. The third group (HAN Mook, RHEE Seundja, SUH Seok and KWON Youngwoo) is considerably influenced by abstract expressionism but infuses distinctive Korean geometric lines and shapes to poetically express and examine nostalgic ambience and cosmic harmony and genesis. Derivative of Korean monochrome paintings, the last group includes KIM Tschangyeul, LEE Ufan, PARK Seobo, CHUNG Sanghwa, CHUNG Changsup, YUN Hyongkeun, KIM Guiline and HA Chonghyun. Also QUAC Insik is included as the pioneer of Korean monochrome art movement.
This exhibition marks and celebrates Gallery Hyundai’s 45th anniversary along with 18 artists who led Korean abstract art from 1960s to 1970s. Korean Abstract Painting will highlight the historical evolution in development of abstract painting in Korea.
Artists: CHUNG Changsup / CHUNG Sanghwa / HA Chonghyun / HAN Mook
KIM Guiline / KIM Tschangyeul / KIM Whanki / KWON Youngwoo / LEE Ufan
LEE Ungno / NAM Kwan / PARK Seobo / QUAC Insik / RHEE Seundja
RYU Kyungchai / SUH Seok / YOO Youngkuk / YUN Hyongkeun
갤러리현대에서는 올해 45주년을 맞이하여, 한국 추상 회화 작가 열여덟 분의 작품을 선보이는 <Korean Abstract Painting – 45th Anniversary of GALLERY HYUNDAI> 전시를 마련합니다.
1970년 4월 4일, 인사동에 개관한 현대화랑은 1972년 <남관>의 개인전을 시작으로 지속적으로 추상작가들의 개인전을 열었습니다. 1974년 <이성자>, <서세옥>, 1975년 <유영국>, <이응노>, 1976년 <김창열>, <한묵>, 1977년 <김환기>, 1978년 <이우환>, 1981년 <박서보>, 1982년 <권영우>, <곽인식>, 1983년 <정상화>, 1984년 <하종현>, 1989년 <김기린>, 1990년 <류경채>, 1996년 <윤형근>, <정창섭> 작가님의 개인전을 열었고, 이후에도 꾸준히 이분들의 개인전을 마련하였습니다.
1979년의 <한국현대미술: 4인의 방법전 (이우환, 윤형근, 김창열, 박서보)>, 1996년의 <1970년대 한국의 모노크롬 (정창섭, 정상화, 하종현, 김기린)>전, 2001년 <한국 현대미술의 전개 1970-90 (김환기, 김종영, 유영국, 윤형근, 서세옥, 김창열, 박서보, 이우환)>, 2007년 갤러리 바이엘러와 함께 기획한 <Poetry in Motion (정상화, 김창열, 김환기, 이우환, 존배, 백남준, 박서보, 신성희, 서세옥)> 등의 주요 그룹전시를 가지며 국내외로 한국 추상을 알렸습니다.
이번 전시는 갤러리현대 45년의 역사와 함께 열여덟 분 작가님의 6-70년대 작업부터 최근 작업들을 다양하게 선보이는 자리로써, 한국 추상 회화의 흐름을 볼 수 있는 의미 있는 전시가 될 것입니다.
참여작가: 이응노 / 남 관 / 김환기 / 한묵 / 유영국 / 이성자 / 곽인식 / 류경채 / 권영우 /
정창섭 / 윤형근 / 김창열 / 서세옥 / 박서보 / 정상화 / 하종현 / 이우환 / 김기린 (총 18명)