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)
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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 Kong, China
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