Paper Revelation

P A P E R

R E V E L A T I O N

Sup Ham, One’s Hometown 1677, 2016, mixed media on hanji paper, 60 x 64 inches

Sup Ham, Jeong Min Suh, Ilhwa Kim Sung Hee Cho, Won Ha

P A P E R

R E V E L A T I O N

An exhibition of Korean contemporary works exploring the versatility of a unique paper tradition Featuring works by: Sup Ham Jeong Min Suh Ilhwa Kim Sung Hee Cho Won Ha February 9th - April 29th, 2017 Opening Reception: Thursday, February 9th 6:00 - 8:00 PM RSVP for reception and events: rsvp@waldandkimgallery.org In collaboration with the

Donghwa Cultural Foundation Supported in part by Arts Council Korea

Find @waldkimgallery at

SUP HAM b. 1942

Sup Ham has worked with hanji, traditional handmade Korean paper, as his primary medium for over 30 years. Using antique manuscripts, Ham transforms the original appearance and nature of his material through a process of dying, soaking, tearing and kneading the pieces of paper before superimposing them in layers onto the canvas. The dried surfaces subsequently undergo a variety of techniques to create the desired tactile effects—pounding, stamping, rolling and cutting—similarly echoing the process of hanji production. Through his palette of Korean traditional colors made from natural dyes, Ham’s works of contemporary abstraction reveal an East-West stylistic synthesis marked by a traditional Korean aesthetic.

The painting-like character of Ham’s hanji compositions stems from his Westernstyle artistic training and education. Born and raised in the Gangwon provincial capital, Chuncheon, a rural area known for its natural beauty, Ham has participated in numerous exhibitions at internationally renowned venues, including the Hyundai Art Gallery (Seoul), the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul), and the Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Berlin).

Sup Ham One’s Hometown 16119 2016 Mixed media on Hanji paper 52 x 64 inches

JEONG MIN SUH b. 1962

Jeong Min Suh’s artworks present a fusion of painting and sculpture. Drawing on the cultural tradition of his native Korea, Suh reuses discarded paper scrolls of calligraphy and ink paintings made on Korean hanji paper. The artist compresses and rolls these painted scraps of paper before hand-cutting and assembling them into relief compositions, often employing geometric forms to express a sense of timeless universality. The faintly discernible ink marks visible along the cut crosssections in Suh’s compositions expose an internal dialogue between the past and the present, revealing the duality of existence and the continuity of traditional practices in contemporary culture.

Living and working in Seoul, Korea, Suh’s works have been exhibited at Palazzo Bembo during the 2013 Venice Biennale, the KEPCO Plaza Art Museum (Seoul), and International Contemporary Art Gwangju Artvision (Gwangju, Korea) as well as in numerous solo and group exhibitions both locally and abroad. He was the recipient of the Haengju Art Award in 2011 and 2005, and the Golden Award for Paper Art from the World Gallery of Drawing in 2013. His works are held in the private collections of the Hauser & Wirth Gallery, the Seoul Paper Museum and the Tween Tower Foundation, USA.

Jeong Min Suh Korea House Roof 17 2015 Hanji paper 31 x 61 inches

I L H WA K I M b. 1967

Ilhwa Kim creates three-dimensional macrocosms composed of tens of thousands of paper “seeds”, each representing its own tiny microcosmic universe. Inspired by the Cheonhado, a seventeenth-century world map from the period of the Korean Chosun Dynasty, the wavy surfaces of the Seed Universe and Space Sample series suggest topographic aerial views of an energy-filled universe. Each unique seed is formed through a process of hand-dying thousands of sheets of hanji paper, which are then cut and rolled into layers, before being arranged in rhythmic patterns of vibrant colors. Her labor-intensive practice forms a personal bond between the artist and the individual seeds, imbuing each microcosmic unit with the mark of its artist-creator.

Based in Seoul, Kim’s work has been exhibited at several notable galleries and venues, including the Saatchi Gallery (London), the Seoul Art Center (Seoul), Insa Art Center (Seoul), Dennos Museum (Michigan), and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul).

Ilhwa Kim Space Sample 8 2016 Hand-dyed hanji paper 52 x 64.5 x 5 inches

SUNG HEE CHO b. 1949

Sung Hee Cho’s relief paintings, constructed from Korean hanji paper and oil paint, explore themes of nature, existence and everyday life. Often appearing as highly tactile monochrome surfaces tempered with restrained or scattered color variations, Cho’s works convey a transcendent simplicity mediated by a traditional Korean sensibility. In constructing her paintings, the artist employs a laborious process in which small fragments of hanji paper are hand-cut, shredded, rolled and formed, then meticulously attached to the canvas and painted with oil pigments. The color nuances and numerous layers in Cho’s works explore concepts of multiplicity and unity, suggesting a universal inseparability between nature and human existence.

Based in Seoul, Cho’s paintings have been exhibited and collected in various prestigious private and public institutions, including the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul), Sejong Art Center (Seoul), Korean Culture Center (Los Angeles and New York), and the Mutual Saving and Finance Company (Seoul).

Sung Hee Cho Cosmic & Fog (detail) 2016 Hanji paper and oil on canvas 57 x 44 inches

WON H A b. 1952

Won Ha investigates themes tied to energy and the essence of nature in various forms of sculpture, installation, and video. A key part of her work is subjective relativity versus objective absolute, exposing the process of change as opposed to one strict form.

Her interactive installation, Forest, comprises video imagery of trees and woodland projected as a myriad of squares onto hanging sheets of paper. Exploring perceptions of the real and the virtual, the video invites the viewer to step into pristine nature while simultaneously maintaining a “real” physical presence amidst a pulsating modern metropolis. Repeated on a continuous loop, the projection of trees onto paper presents a virtual reunification of source and creation, revealing the cyclical nature of life.

Ha is a Professor of Painting at the University of Ulsan in South Korea. Ha’s work has been exhibited and collected at various international institutions, including the British Museum (London), the SOMA Museum of Art (Seoul), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Gwacheon-si), Temple Gallery (Philadelphia), Gallery Hyundai (Seoul), and the Gwangju Museum of Art (Gwangju, Korea).

Won Ha Forest 2016 Video projection on handmade paper

Korean hanji — traditional handmade paper produced from the bark of mulberry trees Closely tied to Korean culture and centuries-old tradition, this handmade paper is valued as a highly durable, versatile, and prized material employed in artistic practices such as calligraphy and painting, in addition to utilitarian applications in everyday life for doors, windows, furniture and umbrellas.