Jeong-Han Yun

South Korean artist Jeong-Han Yun brings forth a distinctive combination of the Abstract Expressionism of the American school with the gestural quality of Korean Literati painting. Despite its comparable appearance to Abstract Expressionist painting, Yun’s works are often entirely made of paper. Yun’s rapid and seemingly spontaneous brushstrokes evoke his moral character and, furthermore, hark back to the ideals of Zen Buddhism and its strong ties to Literati painting in East Asian art. However, the textured paper that serves as the medium is just as capable of materializing Yun’s character, if not more so.

Rather than using traditionally flat paper, Yun carries out a lengthy process to render his own paper, again harking back to the introspection that Zen Buddhism encourages. Yun’s papermaking techniques incorporate both American and Asian papers as well as a variety of colors and textures, creating large-scale works that contrast yet expand on the intimate and small-scale Literati paintings of the East Asian Old Masters.