Ha Chong-Hyun

Almine Rech Brussels is pleased to present Ha Chong-Hyun’s sixth solo exhibition with the gallery, on view from April 22 to June 27, 2026. 

The Conjunction series began in 1974. After a period of mixed-media sculptural experimentation that examined the tension between natural and manufactured forms, Ha turned his attention to painting, seeking to further develop these earlier preoccupations while narrowing his range of materials. What resulted was the development of a process called bae-ap-bub, or "back-pressure method," in which the artist pushes paint from the back of a length of stretched, loosely woven hemp, before returning to the front of the canvas and completing the composition with brushes, palette knives, among other tools. By engaging with the back of the support, Ha recontextualizes the canvas as a three dimensional object, no longer merely a surface that receives paint, but an integral part of the work. The canvas is consequently transformed, becoming an active participant in the act of creation itself.  

The works in this show all belong to the Conjunction series. Dating from the last five years, they demonstrate the extraordinary range of expression Ha Chong-Hyun has achieved through his bae-ap-bub technique. His constant drive for bold experimentation pushes his oeuvre ever onward, as this master of contemporary mark-making continues to redefine representations of  texture and color, rhythm and depth, materiality and physicality. 

— A press release by Pieter Vermeulen, art critic, curator, and lecturer, will follow.