Chun Kwang Young

“I think the first thing I saw [as a child] was my mother's face, and then there was Mulberry paper. It is the spirit and soul of Koreans.”

Chun Kwang Young (B.1944) is a Korean artist best known for his textural, Mulberry paper sculptures. Drawn to America in his twenties, the promise of the American dream was enticing. During his time in the States, he absorbed himself in the culture, and focused on perceiving the values or lack thereof in modern society.(Read More)

Explore artwork

At a time when Abstract Expressionism was flourishing in New York, Chun felt like he’d finally found his place. Yet, as he continued to push the limits in his art, he felt more restrained. After a nostalgic moment he experience when he was feeling ill, he recalled a childhood memory of neighborhood doctor’s office who practiced traditional Chinese medicine. Afraid of needles, Chun would stare up at the ceiling at each individual packages of Mulberry paper that were hanging from it, each with a name card of medicine that was wrapped inside. 

As he looked to fuse his Korean culture with his artwork, he created a new style. For each of those Mulberry papers now represented a memory, a moment in time, and they become accumulations of human experience. His celebrated Aggregation series of large-scale sculptures made of triangular Mulberry paper reflects unities of information, a part of a whole. As Chun says, “I tried to transform my canvas and the Mulberry paper pieces into a window that reflects the history of human life.” 

Born in Hongchun, South Korea, he studied at Hong-Ik University in Korea and received his MFA from the Philadelphia College of Art. In 2014, Chun penned the Mulberry Mindscapes, a monograph that encompasses the breadth and variety of his successful artistic career. He has been awarded Artist of the Year by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul and was granted the Presidential Prize in the 41st Korean Culture and Art Prize by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. His work has been displayed in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum in New York; Museum of Seoul National University, South Korea; Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK, Lee Ungno Museum, South Korea, and many more.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Solo Exhibitions 

2020.       Museum Ground, Yong-in, Republic of Korea

2019.       Oregon University –Jordan Schnitzer Museum, USA 

               Beck & Eggeling Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany

                Museum Ground, Yong-in, Republic of Korea

                Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Singapore, Singapore

2018.       Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA

                Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York, USA

                PKM Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2017.      Museum De Reede, Antwerp, Belgium

               Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong, China

               Beck & Eggeling Gallery, Vienna, Austria

               Boghossian Foundation Solo Show, Brussels, Belgium

2016.      Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeongju, Korea

2015.      Edinburgh Festival, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, UK (Scotland)

               Beck & Eggeling Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany

               Pearl Lam Galleries, Singapore, Singapore

2014.      Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

               Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, New York, USA

2013.      Art Plural Gallery, Singapore, Singapore

               Seoul National University Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea. 

2012.      Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, New York, USA

               Towson University Asian Art Center, Maryland, USA

               Lynchburg College Daura Gallery, Virginia, USA

2011.      Knoxville Museum of Art, Tennessee, USA 

              Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

               Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2009.      Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

               University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie , Wyoming, USA

               Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore

2008.      The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA

               Robert Miller Gallery, New York, USA

2006.      Kim Foster Gallery, New York, USA

               Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, USA

               Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore

               Annely Juda Fine Art, London, UK

2005.      Kukje Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2004.      Kim Foster Gallery, New York, USA

               Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, USA

2003.      Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia

                Newcontemporaries, Sydney, Australia

2002.       Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia, USA

                Kim Foster Gallery, New York, USA

                Michell Rosenfield Gallery, New York, USA

                Kukje Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2001.       ‘2001 The Artist of this year’, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea

2000.       Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, USA

                Comemenoz Gallery, Key Biscayne, Florida, USA

                Kim Foster Gallery, New York, USA

1999.       Park Ryu-Sook Gallery, Seoul, Korea

                Kim Foster Gallery, New York, USA

1998.       Gallery SiKong, Taegu, , Korea

1997.       Gallery Bhak, Seoul, Korea

1995.       Gallery Bhak, Seoul, Korea

1994.       Jong Ro Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1992.       Gallery Hyundai, Seoul , Korea

1990.       Gallery Dong Sung Arts Center, Seoul, Korea

1989.       Gallery Yoon, Seoul, Korea

1988.       Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

1987.       Kwan Hoon Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1986.       Sirota Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

1985.      Kamakura Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

                Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

1984.       Kwan Hoon Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1980.       American Cultural Center Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1979.       Malta National Museum, Saint Julian, Malta, USA

                Lotus Gallery, New York, USA

1977.       Shin Sea Gea Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1976.       Fifth St. Gallery, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

                Fine Art Center, Seoul, Korea

1975.       Lotus Gallery, New York, USA

1971.       International House Gallery, Philadelphia, USA

1968.       Seoul Cultural Center Gallery, Seoul, Korea

 

Select Group Exhibitions

2020.       Lee Ungno, Paintings made from Paper, Leeungno Museum, Daejeon, Republic of Korea 

                The Eastern Gesture, Depart gallery, Milan, Italy

2018.       Beck & Eggeling Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany 

2017.       Materialized Condition, Pearl Lam Galleries, Singapore

2016.       Touch of Korea, Kalman Maklary Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary

                Paper in Profile: Mixografia and Taller de Gráfica Mexicana, Mixografia, Athens, Greece

                Structures of Recollection, curated by Paul Moorhouse, Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong, China

                Materialized Sentiments, Pearl Lam Galleries, Shanghai, China

2015.       Venice Biennale Palazzo, Grimani Art Museum, Venice, Italy

                San Museum, Wonju, Korea

                ‘Spalding house : LESS = MORE’, Honolulu Museum of Art

2014.       ‘Odd Volumes: Book Art from the Allan Chasanoff Collection’, Connecticut ,USA

2013.       ‘The Moment, We Awe–Contemporary Art from korea’, How Art Museum, Wenzhou, China

2012.       ‘Design Futurology’, Museum of Art Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

                Museum KUNSTWERK I Sammlung Alison und Peter W. Klein, Eberdingen-Nussdorf, Germany

2011.       Impression Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan

2010.       ‘I am the Cosmos’, New Jersey State Museum, New Jersey, USA

                ‘Aldrich Undercover 2010’, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut, USA

2009.       Conny Dietzschold gallery, Sydney, Australia

                ‘Urban Archeology’, KIM FOSTER Gallery summer group shows, USA

                Landau Fine Art, Inc., Montreal, Canada

2008.       ‘Midnight Full of Stars’ , Visual Art Center, New Jersey, USA

                ‘Undercover Project’ , The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut, USA

2007.       ‘Addicted to Paper’, Gallery Lelong, Zurich, Switzerland

2006.       ‘Holland Paper Biennial’, CODA Museum, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands (concurrently viewed at the Museum Rijswijk)

2005.       ‘2005 Seoul Art Exhibition’ , Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea

2004.       ‘The Art Scene in New York’, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, USA

                Commemorative Exhibition of South Branch opening, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea

2003.       ‘Crossings 2003, Korea/Hawaii’, The contemporary Museum, Honolulu, USA

                ‘ Art Unlimited’, Art 34 Basel, Basel, Switzerland

2001.       ‘Compelled’ , Hunterdon Museum of Art, New Jersey, USA

2000.       ‘Dealer’s Choice’, Robert Kidd Gallery, Michigan, USA

                San Francisco Art Exhibition, Park Ryu-Sook Gallery, San Francisco, USA

                Gwenda Jay/ Addington Gallery, Chicago, USA

1999.       Galerie Die Weisse, Cologne, UK

1998.       Galerie Dorothea van Der Koelen, Mainze, Germany

                Crossing Boundaries’, Gallery V, Columbus, Ohio, USA

1997.       ‘Korean Paper Artist’, Walker Hill Museum, Seoul, Korea

1996.       ‘Anthology of Contemporary Painting Artists’, Da Do Gallery, Seoul, Korea

                ‘Korean Paper-The Origin Esthetics’, Da Do Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1995.       L.A. International Biennale Invitation, Gallery Bhak-Remba Gallery, L.A, USA

                ‘Exhibition of Paper-Korea and Japan Contemporary Artists’, Chong Ro Gallery, Seoul, Korea

                Seoul International Art Festival, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea

1994.       ‘Korean Paper Works of 3 Artists’, Chong Ro Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1993.       Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh

1987.       Seoul-Yokohama Contemporary Artists Exhibition, Gallery of Art Cosmo Center, Yokohama, Japan

1986.       Yokohama Contemporary Artists Exhibition, The Museum of Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan

1985.       ISPPA, Walker Hill Museum, Seoul, Korea

1984.       ’84 ISPPA-HUKUOKA, The Museum of Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

1982.       ‘Ecole de Seoul’, The National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, Korea

                Korea Today’s Artists Exhibition, Kwan Hoon Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1977.       The Invited Show 2 Contemporary Artists, Fifth St. Gallery, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

1976.       The Invited Exhibition Contemporary Artists, University of Delaware Museum, Delaware, USA

                The Invited Exhibition Lotus 10 Artists, Lotus Gallery, New York, USA

                The Invited Exhibition Contemporary Artists, Baulchie Institute Museum, Philadelphia USA

1975.       Woodmare Gallery, Philadelphia, USA

                Wanamker Gallery, Philadelphia, USA

                William Penn Memorial Museum, Harrisburg, USA

1974.       The 24th Cheltenham Art Exhibition, Cheltenham Art Center, Cheltenham, UK

                Drexel University Museum, Philadelphia, USA

1973.       Civic Center Museum, Philadelphia, USA

                Earth Art Modern II Art Exhibition, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Civic Center Museum, Philadelphia, USA

1971-78  National Forum of Professional Artists Show, Philadelphia Civic Center Museum, Philadelphia, USA

1966-68  Korean Contemporary Artists Invited Exhibition, The Chosun Il-Bo Press Group, Seoul, Korea

1966-67  The Shin Sang Group Show, National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, Korea

 

Awards

2009.       Presidential Prize in the 41st Korean Culture and Art Prize, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Seoul, Korea 

2001.       Chun Kwang Young; Artist of the Year 2001, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea

1974.       Silver Prize in the 27th Cheltenham Art Center Exhibition sponsored by Cheltenham Art Center

1973.       Special Prize in the Earth Art II sponsored by Civic Center Museum, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A

1969.       Special Prize in the 18th Korean National Art’s Exhibition sponsored by the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation, Seoul, Korea

1967.       Korean Contemporary Artist’s Invited Exhibition Special Prize, held by Chosun Press Group, National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, Korea

1967-66  Special Prize in the 5th, 6th Shin Sang Group Exhibition, held by Shin Sang Group, National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, Korea

 

Public Collections

Oregon University – Jordan Schnitzer Museum, USA 

British Museum, London, U.K

Victoria & Albert Museum, London, U.K

Seoul National University Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea 

University of Virginia Art Museum, Charlottesville, Virginia 

Woodrow Wilson International Center, Washington D.C. ,

Busan Metropolitan Art Museum, Busan, Korea

National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea

How Art Museum, Wenzhou, China

Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeongju, Korea

Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA 

M+ Museum, Hong KongChina

Yale University Art Gallery, Connecticut ,USA

Museum KUNSTWERK, Peter W .Klein, Germany

United Nations headquarters, New York, USA 

Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea

Malta National Museum, Saint Julian, Malta

The Leeum, Samsung Museum, Seoul, Korea

The Museum of Hong-ik University, Seoul, Korea

William Penn Memorial Museum, Philadelphia, USA 

Hansol Foundation of Culture, Seoul, Korea

National Gallery of Australia at Canberra, Canberra, Australia

Fidelity Investments Boston, Boston, USA

International Finance Corp., Washington, DC, USA

The National Military Academy, Seoul, Korea

Pak Young Sa Publishing Co, Seoul, Korea

Woong-Jin Group, Seoul, Korea

Hotel Shilla, Seoul, Korea

Han Wha Corp., Seoul, Korea

Il Shin Spinning Co., Seoul, Korea

Syn Key Group, Seoul, Korea

Sa Jo Corp., Seoul, Korea

Seo Won Valley Country Club, Song-Chou, Korea

Neiman Marcus Department Store, Dallas, USA

Oracle Corporation, New York, USA

Rosewood Stone Group, Mill Velley, CA

Tita and Gene Zeffren, Chicago, USA

Hansol Foundation of Culture, Seoul, Korea

Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, USA

Columbia University of Law, New York, USA

Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, USA

Rockfeller Foundation, New York, USA

Philadelphia Society Building, Philadelphia, USA

Seoul 63 Building, Seoul, Korea

LG Group, Seoul, Korea

Sea Ah Group, Seoul, Korea

Chosun Hotel, Gyeongju, Korea

Lake Hills Country Club, Suwon, Korea

Yu Yu Ind. Ltd., Seoul, Korea

Seo Heung Metal Co., Seoul, Korea

Dong Yang Tinplate Corp, Seoul, Korea

Codina Group Inc., Coral Gables, USA

Jacson Consulting Corp., Coral Gables, USA

Continental-Bental L. L.C., Bellevue, Washington, USA

Lattangio E Associati SRL, Milan, Italy

Potash Corporation-USA Headquarters, Chicago, USA

Arario gallery, Cheonan, Seoul

Hackerodt Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur, Bonn, Germany