The Facts
Lisson Gallery announced on September 14, 2026, that it will present a selection of works by the 91-year-old Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun, a leading figure of the Dansaekhwa movement. The exhibition, opening at the gallery's London location on Bell Street, will feature his signature “back-pressure method” paintings, created by pushing oil paint through the back of coarse hemp fabric. It will also include several of Ha’s earlier artistic experiments, offering a broad view of his practice since the early 1970s. The show opens the day before Ha’s first North American museum retrospective at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
The Signal
Ha’s technique, which he has used consistently for over five decades, involves applying a single muted color to the back of hemp and manipulating the paint on the front with handmade tools. His works, all titled “Conjunction” with date numbers, reflect his belief in the coming together of artist and material. Born in Sancheong, Korea, in 1935, Ha developed his abstract language amid the Korean War and postwar privation, using hemp sacks as a practical alternative to scarce art supplies. Lisson director Max Bossier called the technique “really revolutionary,” noting that it had not been done before. The exhibition underscores the growing international recognition of Dansaekhwa artists, including Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo, whose spare, monochrome works have gained prominence outside Korea over the past decade.
- Artists: Ha Chong-Hyun, Lee Ufan, Park Seo-Bo
- People: Max Bossier
- Galleries: Lisson Gallery
- Museums: Asian Art Museum
- Locations: London, San Francisco
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