Ha Chong-Hyun: Retrospective

A sensory journey through sixty years of innovative abstraction.

For over six decades, pioneering artist Ha Chong-Hyun (b. 1935) has explored what painting becomes when freed from all existing conventions. Ha’s work prizes the interaction of his materials: using pressure, gravity, and tools ranging from torches to everyday utensils, he transforms the surfaces of canvases up to eight feet tall into a treasure trove of texture and physicality. His first museum exhibition in North America, Ha Chong-Hyun: Retrospective offers an unprecedented look at the creative evolution of one of Korea’s most influential contemporary artists.

Press Release: Asian Art Museum presents first North American survey of the acclaimed Korean artist

Top image: Conjunction 25-19, 2025. by Ha Chong-Hyun. Oil on hemp cloth. Photo © Chunho An, courtesy Tina Kim Gallery. Bottom image: Photo © Chunho An, courtesy Tina Kim Gallery.

Ha Chong-Hyun: Retrospective is organized by the Asian Art Museum.

Presentation is made possible with lead sponsorship from SK ∙ PODO Museum.

Generous support is provided by Tina Kim Gallery and Kukje Gallery.

Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions and the Kao/Williams Contemporary Art Exhibitions Fund.