Korean Dansaekhwa Master Chung Sang-hwa Dies at 93 in Seoul
Chung Sang-hwa, an influential figure in the realm of postwar Korean abstraction, passed away at the age of 93 on January 28 in Seoul following a prolonged illness. His artistic journey commenced in the 1960s, and he crafted a distinctive technique in Kobe, Japan, from 1969 to 1977, utilizing layers of kaolin, glue, and water. By the mid-1970s, he was associated with the Dansaekhwa movement alongside artists such as Park Seo-bo and Lee Ufan, although his style remained unique. After moving to France in 1977, he began incorporating color into his work. Upon returning to Korea in 1992, he dedicated up to a year to each canvas. His pieces are held in prominent collections, and retrospectives in 2011 and 2021 affirmed his artistic legacy.
Key facts
- Chung Sang-hwa died on January 28 in Seoul at age 93.
- He was a key figure in postwar Korean abstraction and the Dansaekhwa movement.
- From 1969 to 1977, he lived and worked in Kobe, Japan, developing his signature technique.
- His method involved layering kaolin, glue, and water, then folding, cracking, and refilling canvases.
- After his wife's death in 1977, he moved to France for 15 years.
- He returned to Korea in 1992 and worked in a studio in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.
- His works are in collections like the Hirshhorn Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.
- Major retrospectives were held in France (2011) and Korea (2021).
Entities
Artists
- Chung Sang-hwa
- Park Seo-bo
- Ha Chong-hyun
- Lee Ufan
- Yun Hyong-keun
- Michele Chan
Institutions
- ArtAsiaPacific
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
- Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art
- Seoul Museum of Art
- Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
- Musée d'art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole
Locations
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Kobe
- Japan
- France
- Yeoju
- Gyeonggi Province
- Washington, DC
- Abu Dhabi
- Tokyo