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“The moon jar is not just a flower conceived by nature. Rather, it is a flower of stacking, and emptying out to utter emptiness are ultimately completed in the
the heart. Its essence is to make the people who see it become happy.” ‘Blossom Series’.
-From the artist’s notes Seeing Chon’s Blossom Series is like owning a ‘renaissance prose book’. This
is because he pursues the ‘nature in mind spirit toward eternity’ rather than an
Chon Byung Hyun is an artist who unravels the sentiment of his hometown (本 ordinary life. The flower Blossom is the most affluent object he has
鄕) with a ‘positive message’. By cultivating the Korean traditional mulberry discovered. It creates magical experiences leading us to evoke warm
trees known in Korea as “dak” for his work, he pursues the ‘life of an artisan memories. The growing popularity of moon jars is seen as ‘traditional
close to asceticism’. The milky ‘Blossom’ series is his lifelong dedicated materialism’ or ‘modernized branding’. However, Chon’s moon jars take on a
signature work where he utilizes the ‘Korean wet wall mural technique.’ The new value. The jars contain the ‘spirit of abundance’ that captures the
matière texture of the thick Korean Hanji paper has gained international essence of the object. The Blossom Series pursue a bird’s-eye view (a
competitiveness in creative ways in the field of oil painting, which Westerners technique that resembles sailing in nature on a helicopter) so as to calmly
once dominated. embrace the joys and sorrows of life.
Consider how Michelangelo undoubtedly created his own legendary If you carelessly put your heart in the round white porcelain jars you will see
painting, the birthplace of Catholicism through harnessing the archetype of the world through the eyes of the painter and realize the ‘heart of plum
ancient tomb murals. The splendor of the time-honored technique has been Blossoms’ in ‘calmness’. The reason why plum Blossoms are pigmented is
reborn in a sense, as artist Chon Byung Hyun’s ‘Maehwa,’ a.k.a. plum perhaps largely due to the creation of an image of dynamic K-Art, beyond the
Blossom. As such, Chon is sort of a ‘renaissance artist’. The signature style of era where the West dominates the East. After studying in France for a
Chon in the ‘Blossom Series,’ is part of the restoration of humanity that fuses multitude of years, the artist once declared, “Now that I have returned to my
each of the ‘Eastern and Western’ perspectives. Just as Cézanne pursued home country, I will try to draw whatever I want to do.” The Blossom Series,
the ‘essence of time’ in Mont Saint-Victor, the red and blue images of Chon’s thus, feature a ‘flower of positivity’, blooming in a variety of colors with the heart
flowers move between the seasons and incorporate the four seasons into one of plum Blossoms in the garden in which the artist meets various wildflowers.
piece of work.
Circulating energy, the richness of Korean beauty
A symbol of eternal love, Chon Byung Hyun’s Blossom Novelist Tae Ki-soo finds this circulatory energy in the artist’s pen name
Chon Byung Hyun has created a unique art through the dynamic interaction known as ‘Ssakgong.’ The name is a word made up by adding the word
of tradition and modernity. Relentlessly, he has pursued new horizons in ‘ssak’ (朔) for New Year’s Day to the word ‘gong’ (空) for emptiness. It is a
contemporary art through self-innovation that transcends genres and symbol of his will to live as a ‘painter of the moon.’ And the ‘paintings that
materials. His pen name is Ssakgong (Ssak-O; a pen name that combines dream of possibilities’ in the ‘filling and emptying,’ are the quintessential part
the concept of the old moon and the full moon), which means the cycle of the of Chon Byung Hyun’s Blossom Series. His works are ‘mind in nature
moon waning and waxing repetitively. Through his art, the artist’s pen name paintings’ that he freely draws as he wishes without distinguishing between
and work become unified in this way. The artist’s ideal, which competes in the figurative and non-figurative (abstract). The artist adds, “it suits my
depth with the multi-layered structures inherent in traditional art, digs into the personality to draw things that are swayed here and there by the wind and
‘beauty of Korea in the abyss.’ One way of realizing it is through a bird’s-eye leave themselves to the sun without any filtering.” Rather than forcibly
view technique in paintings. connecting traditions, intuition with empathy and sincerity is the ‘way that
The artist in question is an eccentric Korean artist who went to the Paris connects real traditions’ for the artist. He grows and cultivates mulberry trees
National Academy of Fine Arts (Beaux-Arts) in France, then proceeded to the on his own, materials for his work as a way of creating a work full of vitality. In
Quedra Roire Open Studio in Paris in 1985 and Vitry Open Studio in Paris in a sense, perhaps the artist is taking over the spirit of the Joseon era potter
1989. He then created such notable works as the 《Monument for Modern who made ‘Baekja Daeho’ (the original name for moon jars).
People》 (1992, Gana Art Gallery, Seoul), 《Energy》(1992, Gallery Blaquia, The title of this exhibition is ‘Blossom’ (meaning to be born and to bloom) and
Paris), 《Monument for Modern People》(1996, Gallery Natalia Vadia, Paris), his pseudonym ‘Ssakgong’ represents the ‘artist’s will’ to reflect on the
《White Millennium》(2000, Gana Art Gallery, Seoul), 《Blossom》(2007, Gana ‘essence of the circulating world’ in his work. The flowers in full bloom
Art Gallery, Seoul) and 《Forest》(2010, Gana Art Center, Seoul). He has been decorated in the moon jar are enchanting as if one is looking at a beautiful
reborn as a talented artist of our time who has constantly experimented with woman. However, the deep meaning contained in it can be said to be the
various forms. Looking at the 50 years of his artistic career, he has worked artist’s long-standing philosophy to express the deep-rooted nature of being
alone, never using an assistant or a substitute. The processes of his filling, a Korean and the profoundness of the heart through ‘positive energy’.

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