Refraction Abstraction

About

“Refraction/Abstraction” showcases a dynamic selection of works by leading Korean abstract artists, offering a new perspective on the legacy of the 1970s Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement. These artists responded to the troubled period following the Korean War (1950–53) by condensing the formal qualities of their post-industrial reality. The artists on view present varied responses to abstraction that reflect this legacy across the Korean American diaspora, engaging themes of community, the natural world, and collective memory.

Yoon Jongju’s meditative surfaces, arranged in sequential grids, abstract the linearity of time. Candice Joo’s artificial landscape paintings contend with the natural world while creating space between the real and the virtual. Minku Kim’s explorations into pictorial space compress space and time while referencing the rich colored panels of Korean hanbok. Hyemin Lee uses fragments of discarded, traditional Korean garments to evoke forgotten memories through her works. Alex Paik’s modular, paper-based wall installations explore perception, interdependence, and improvisation while engaging with the complexities of social dynamics. Park YoungHa activates the surface of his paintings using a mixture of fine sand, gold dust, and stone powders, calling back to the traditional mud-plastered walls of rural Korean houses.