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SWPK is pleased to announce the exhibition Kyung-Ae Hur: Sillages on view in our 2nd floor gallery space from July 12th, 2023 to September 30th, 2023. A discussion with the artist will take place at 7:00 pm on the night of the opening.
Kyung-Ae Hur is known for her distinctive constructive-deconstructive technique, creating a chromatic symphony in which both chaos and order coexist within a single surface. Deeply rooted in her Korean heritage, her work draws inspiration from traditional Korean colors and patterns while offering a new, unconventional approach to their use. Taking its impetus from the French word for the wake or trail that lingers behind a moving object, Sillages presents a group of acrylic on canvas paintings in which the artist breaks apart and reshapes pre-existing orders to explore questions of presence and absence.
Hur’s process begins with the application of up to 70 layers of acrylic paint of various colors to the canvas. Once dried, she carves through the bonded layers using sculpting knives, surgical scalpels, or kitchen knives, thus breaking the smooth surface and revealing an array of colors hidden beneath. She refers to these revealed colors as “traces,” remnants of a previous state, akin to an archaeologist unearthing histories that are destined to resurface. These carved-out fragments are then gathered and reattached to the canvas, forming a regenerated landscape that is at once chaotic and ordered, mirroring the dichotomy of the universe.
In Hur’s works, every step is methodically planned and documented, from the choice of color to the placement of the “traces.” She approaches painting as a process and a performance, a physically strenuous yet meditative act of creation. The resulting works are vibrant, presenting a chromatic feast of primary and mid-tone colors. The use of a fine blade to scratch through the layers of acrylic paint introduces an element of chance, as the exact shape and color of each cut cannot be predicted. Thus, her paintings exist between the logical and the illogical, the reasonable and the unreasonable.
Integral to Hur’s practice is a profound connection with ancient Korean culture, a bond that manifests itself in various facets of her work. Her choice of palette, for instance, is informed by the five traditional Korean colors of the Obangsaek — blue, red, yellow, white, and black — that symbolize the cosmic order and natural elements, thus invoking a sense of harmony and balance. Further, Hur’s usage of empty space in the monochromatic surfaces of her paintings echos the concept of “void” found in traditional Korean ink-and-wash painting. Adding to this rich tapestry of cultural elements is the performative nature shared by both traditional Korean ink-and-wash painting and Hur’s practice, capturing the artist’s presence and gesture as a lingering Sillage that forms an internal dialogue with the past.
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