Jung Hyun's 30-Year Devotion to Human Spirituality and the Essence of Sculpture

Seongbuk-gu Art Museum 'Portrait of Time: Jeong Hyun'

Jung Hyun is a sculptor who has reflected on human existence. He has been devoted to the essence of 'human' and 'sculpture.' He created works that emphasize the sense of movement and abstraction of the human body. He changed his production methods and also created forms that value chance. He paid attention to the materiality of non-traditional materials.

An exhibition illuminating the world that has pursued the power and essence of sculpture itself has been prepared. It is "Portrait of Time: Jung Hyun," held by Seongbuk-gu Art Museum on the 5th. It reveals about 100 works from Jung Hyun’s early works in the late 1980s to his latest pieces. It retraces the journey and major turning points of building an independent sculptural world while exploring human spirituality and the essence of sculpture.

The works from the late 1980s during his study in France show the process of gradually shifting from realistic human figures to semi-figurative expressions. The 'Seonjo (線彫)' works, composed of bare skeletons, muscles, and fragments of severed bodies, also stand out. Seonjo is a sculpting technique that builds up or carves lines with thin lines.

The works from the late 1990s used wooden blocks or shovels instead of traditional sculpting tools like a spatula. They created forms by hitting or cutting lumps of clay. The plaster weaving produced during this period also omits detailed human forms. More emphasis was placed on bold movements and traces of emotion. On the other hand, recent works highlight the materiality of non-traditional materials such as railroad ties, coal, gravel, and asphalt.

The exhibition continues until December 4. Curator Kim Kyung-min said, "Through works on 'human,' an eternal theme of humanity, the artist has aimed for 'human spirituality and the energy of existence.' We expect that this arduous journey will offer a profound reflection on human existence to modern people living in the post-COVID era."