Shin Hakchul Holds Solo Exhibition at Kwanhoon Gallery
Published May 18, 2025 02:59 AM
Jason Yim
Korea Contemporary History-At Gwanghwamun Courtesy of Kwanhoon Gallery
SEOUL — Renowned Korean artist Shin Hakchul is presenting a major solo exhibition at Kwanhoon Gallery in Insadong, Seoul, from May 14 to July 13, 2025. The gallery, known for its pivotal role in Korea’s avant-garde art movement during the 1980s, is showcasing the full gallery space for this retrospective.
The exhibition is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is closed on Mondays.
Shin Hakchul, a founding member of AG (Korean Avant-Garde Association), is celebrated for his efforts to express the lived reality of his time through figurative forms rather than abstract styles. His work is deeply rooted in the belief that art must reflect the life and struggles of the era.
Courtesy of Kwanhoon Gallery
The decision to hold the exhibition in Insadong was driven by Shin’s concern over the shifting focus of the Korean art market. Once a hub for major galleries, Insadong has seen many relocate to areas like Sagan-dong, Bukchon, Gangnam, and Hannam-dong. Shin sees this return to Kwanhoon Gallery as a way to revive and re-anchor the significance of the original Korean gallery scene.
Among the highlights is his montage work, developed through years of reflecting on the dreams and hardships of Korea’s working class. The technique was prominently featured in his 2024 retrospective Montage of the Times at the Gwangju Museum of Art.
The first-floor section of the exhibition symbolically weaves Korean modern history through rope-like compositions — suggesting the burning thread of contemporary events and Shin’s own artistic timeline. His works incorporate imagery of protest, oppression, and resistance, including key pieces such as Emergency Exit (1970s), which powerfully portrays the desire to escape societal repression.
A notable recent work, Youthful Days (2021), is described by the artist as instinctive and warm, likened to a “barbershop painting” in style. He notes that it reflects an emotional realism absent from more intellectual or ideologically driven art. The piece blends both Western and Eastern utopian ideals, grounded in personal, everyday dreams.
Courtesy of Kwanhoon Gallery
Visitors can also view major works from his Korean Modern History series, including Candlelight Revolution and Kanto Earthquake – Massacre of Koreans. These installations use montage and object-oriented approaches to reinterpret historical trauma. Shin avoids over-conceptualization and instead seeks to illuminate life’s reality through raw, unfiltered perspectives.
The exhibition spans three floors, featuring object-based collages on the second floor and politically resonant pieces on the first and third floors. Kwanhoon Gallery’s curatorial intent aligns with Shin’s: to challenge the formalization of avant-garde art and encourage a more inclusive understanding of Korean contemporary art.
Sayart / Jason Yim yimjongho1969@gmail.com
Pioneering Korean avant-garde artist revisits Insadong with politically charged montage worksKorea Contemporary History-At Gwanghwamun Courtesy of Kwanhoon Gallery
SEOUL — Renowned Korean artist Shin Hakchul is presenting a major solo exhibition at Kwanhoon Gallery in Insadong, Seoul, from May 14 to July 13, 2025. The gallery, known for its pivotal role in Korea’s avant-garde art movement during the 1980s, is showcasing the full gallery space for this retrospective.
The exhibition is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is closed on Mondays.
Shin Hakchul, a founding member of AG (Korean Avant-Garde Association), is celebrated for his efforts to express the lived reality of his time through figurative forms rather than abstract styles. His work is deeply rooted in the belief that art must reflect the life and struggles of the era.
Courtesy of Kwanhoon Gallery
The decision to hold the exhibition in Insadong was driven by Shin’s concern over the shifting focus of the Korean art market. Once a hub for major galleries, Insadong has seen many relocate to areas like Sagan-dong, Bukchon, Gangnam, and Hannam-dong. Shin sees this return to Kwanhoon Gallery as a way to revive and re-anchor the significance of the original Korean gallery scene.
Among the highlights is his montage work, developed through years of reflecting on the dreams and hardships of Korea’s working class. The technique was prominently featured in his 2024 retrospective Montage of the Times at the Gwangju Museum of Art.
The first-floor section of the exhibition symbolically weaves Korean modern history through rope-like compositions — suggesting the burning thread of contemporary events and Shin’s own artistic timeline. His works incorporate imagery of protest, oppression, and resistance, including key pieces such as Emergency Exit (1970s), which powerfully portrays the desire to escape societal repression.
A notable recent work, Youthful Days (2021), is described by the artist as instinctive and warm, likened to a “barbershop painting” in style. He notes that it reflects an emotional realism absent from more intellectual or ideologically driven art. The piece blends both Western and Eastern utopian ideals, grounded in personal, everyday dreams.
Courtesy of Kwanhoon Gallery
Visitors can also view major works from his Korean Modern History series, including Candlelight Revolution and Kanto Earthquake – Massacre of Koreans. These installations use montage and object-oriented approaches to reinterpret historical trauma. Shin avoids over-conceptualization and instead seeks to illuminate life’s reality through raw, unfiltered perspectives.
The exhibition spans three floors, featuring object-based collages on the second floor and politically resonant pieces on the first and third floors. Kwanhoon Gallery’s curatorial intent aligns with Shin’s: to challenge the formalization of avant-garde art and encourage a more inclusive understanding of Korean contemporary art.
