Conjunction 92-99 1992

Curator: "Conjunction 92-99" by Ha Chong-Hyun. Made in 1992, the piece combines painting and mixed media techniques with heavy impasto use. What do you make of it at first glance? Editor: Immediately, I sense an echo of resilience. There's this repeated, textured pattern – it reminds me of how communities rebuild and resist erasure, particularly those facing displacement. Curator: It's fascinating you see it that way. I'm drawn to the symbolism of conjunction itself. Ha was known for pushing paint through the back of hemp cloth, creating these almost erupting forms on the surface. A metaphor for pushing through societal expectations perhaps. Editor: Definitely. He made this piece during a time when abstract art became prevalent globally after long existing underground, when a different cultural conversation had exploded onto a global stage. Curator: The monochrome palette of olive-gray enforces restraint. The symbolism lies more in the act and material transformation, not colorful distraction. Think of ink stones from East Asia used in calligraphy, creating images that arise from nothing. Editor: Right, and perhaps we can read the heavy impasto as representing the weight of historical events of that period, from social unrests in several regions around the world, the burden shouldered by communities who had very few opportunities to express themselves. Curator: That ties back to your idea of resistance and memory, certainly. The 'Conjunction' series has that constant struggle rendered through its visual form. Editor: Exactly. So much unspoken pain transformed into texture. It's also crucial to recognize that Ha, like many artists from colonized countries, engaged with, negotiated, and defied traditional orientalist readings to assert a new subjectivity on his work, which in turn asserted presence to an experience rooted in being colonized. Curator: An active claiming, absolutely, pushing past expectations as well as pushing that oil paint through the back of the canvas to claim space, creating new form. I will now think of this work with the history of Korean modernization and colonial impact on mind. Editor: Yes, art-making becomes such a loaded and meaningful experience when placed in history. Thanks for illuminating a fuller picture for us today.