Ha Chong-Hyun's Revolutionary Back-Pressure Technique at Lisson Gallery

At 91, South Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun continues to push the boundaries of painting with his 'back-pressure method' (bae-ap-bub), a technique he developed in the early 1970s. Instead of applying paint to the front of a canvas, Ha stretches coarse hemp fabric and pushes thick oil paint through the back, using handmade tools to manipulate the paint on the front side. Each work, titled 'Conjunction' with a date number, uses a single muted color like white or brown. For Ha, the technique represents a rebellion through abstraction, emphasizing the coming together of artist and material. His work is currently the subject of an exhibition at Lisson Gallery in London, where his spare, striking paintings are on view. Ha has remained dedicated to this method for decades, and despite his age, he shows no signs of slowing down. The exhibition highlights his pioneering contribution to Korean abstraction and his ongoing influence on contemporary art.