‘The technique was revolutionary’: Ha Chong-Hyun, the 91-year-old South Korean artist who turned painting inside out

At 91 years old, South Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun continues to push the boundaries of painting with his pioneering 'back-pressure method' (bae-ap-bub in Korean), a technique he developed in the early 1970s. This revolutionary approach fundamentally inverts the traditional painting process. Instead of applying paint to the front of a canvas, Ha stretches coarse, loosely woven hemp fabric and pushes thick oil paint through the material from the back. This action forces the paint to emerge on the front surface, creating a unique textural and visual effect. Ha meticulously manipulates the paint on the front with various handmade tools, imbuing the abstract forms with a sense of deliberate gesture, akin to brushstrokes, yet distinct from conventional application.

Ha's dedication to this singular method is unwavering. Each artwork is titled 'Conjunction,' a nomenclature that reflects his core artistic philosophy: the essential coming together and interplay between the artist and the chosen materials. This is further distinguished by a numerical suffix, denoting the specific date of the work's creation, grounding each abstract piece in its temporal context. His palette is typically restrained, favoring neutral or muted tones such as white or brown, which serve to emphasize the materiality of the paint and the inherent texture of the hemp substrate. This minimalist aesthetic contributes to the spare yet striking visual impact of his creations.

Max Bossier, director at Lisson Gallery in London, a prominent international art institution, has lauded Ha's technique as "really revolutionary" and unprecedented in the history of art. Lisson Gallery is set to host an exhibition in September that will feature a curated selection from Ha's extensive 'Conjunction' series, spanning several decades of his artistic output. The exhibition will also include examples of his earlier artistic experiments, offering a comprehensive view of his creative evolution. This retrospective at Lisson Gallery, a significant venue in the contemporary art world, underscores Ha Chong-Hyun's enduring influence and his consistent exploration of abstraction as a form of artistic rebellion. His sustained commitment to this innovative method for over fifty years highlights its profound impact on contemporary art practices, challenging established notions of how a painting can be conceived and executed.