Yun Hyong-Keun

Exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery, Paris, 7 January - 23 February 2023

The most important figure in the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement, the name given to a group of influential Korean artists in the 1960s and 1970s, Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007) developed over four decades a style of monochromatic abstraction that deconstructs the notion of painting by reducing it to the repeated application of pigment to a surface. His abstract compositions engage and transcend the artistic movements and visual traditions of East and West, establishing him as one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. From 1980 to 1982 he lived in Paris, seeking both peace after the violent political unrest that erupted in South Korea in 1980 and a new artistic centre in which to create work.

This exhibition catalogue focuses on Yun's paintings and works on hanji produced in Paris. The texts look at her work before moving to Paris, and her practice and influences after arriving in the European capital, examining in particular her more nuanced understanding of the colour black, which has different meanings in France and Korea.