Suh Seung-Won

One of the early members of the Dansaekhwa art movement, Suh Seung-Won (b. 1941), set the foundations for modernism in Korea. For over fifty years, Seung-Won has explored the concept of simultaneity, using geometric patterns to delineate his aesthetic understanding of time and space. His unique usage of layered brushstrokes separates his work from that of other Dansaekhwa artists, giving his work a tethered sense of depth. Seung-Won is a master at illuminating the purity of a composition, reducing its state without losing the balance of form, color, and space at the work’s essence. Seung-Won was also one of the founding members of the Origin art movement, aiming to find a unique voice that averted foreign influences. His work has been a critical component of the art world in Korea, nurturing growth through both his work and critical thinking. 

Suh Seung-Won was born in Seoul in 1941 and graduated from Hong-Ik University with an MFA in painting. Having spent his university years in the aftermath of the 4.19 Revolution, he helped found the Origin Group and became a member of A.G. (Korean Avant-Garde Association). He has participated in major international exhibitions, such as the inaugural exhibition of the Korean Avant-Garde Association (1969), the 6th Paris Biennale (1969), the 11th São Paulo Biennale (1971), Korea: Five Artists, Five Hinsek – White (Tokyo, 1975), The Contemporary Korean Art (Tokyo, 1977), and Korean Contemporary Art: Unique Artistic Movement in the late 70s (Japan, 1983). Suh recently held a solo exhibition at the Korea Society in New York in collaboration with Donghwa Cultural Foundation.

His works are in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; Gwangju Art Museum; Sapporo Contemporary Art Museum, Japan; Simoneski Metropolitan Museum of Art, Japan; The British Museum; and the Brooklyn Museum, New York among many others.