[A.G] Kwak Hoon (곽 훈) - 'Halaayt' | Riveruns | ENG

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Artist
Kwak Hoon

Born in 1941 in Daegu, Korea, Hoon Kwak pursued his education in fine arts in the USA, receiving his MA and MFA from California State University, Long Beach in 1980 and 1982, respectively. His work was included in the inaugural Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Art in 1995. The artist currently lives and works in Los Angeles and Seoul.

Kwak’s work represents the profound spiritual world of Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, expressed through a range of Korean materials. With an indeterminate composition and vigorous brushstrokes, his artworks deeply resonate with audiences. Inspired by the vivid hue of blood, a color the artist deems as the first-ever shade of color in the history of humanity, Kwak’s paintings often feature the deep reddish-brown pigment of iron oxide. To him, the shade of burnt sienna echoes with the primal force of our primitive days, when our ancestors created cave paintings with easily accessible materials such as charcoal, soil, and pigments made with minerals and animal fat. By using ritualistic elements, the artist recreates a connection with this primal materiality.

Kwak also draws inspiration from the ancient earthenware of his hometown; such abstract renditions occur not only in his paintings but also in his installations. As opposed to his paintings, Kwak’s installation works have only been produced during a brief period of time and are low in number. Buddhist thoughts and Oriental philosophy are also at the core of these pieces, eloquently representing his disposition, in that his experimental spirit is infused with an abstract way of expression.

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