Chun Kwang Young South Korean, b. 1944

Chun Kwang Young was born in 1944 in Yeongcheon, South Korea. Growing up in the aftermath of the Korean War, he witnessed profound destruction and scarcity, experiences that deeply informed his artistic sensibility. Initially trained in painting, Chun later transitioned to sculpture, seeking materials that could express both resilience and fragility. He became renowned for his Aggregation series, works composed of small, meticulously folded and painted mulberry paper bundles, assembled into large, textured panels that evoke landscapes, topographies, and the layered complexity of memory.

Over five decades, Chun’s practice has explored the intersections of materiality, repetition, and cultural memory. His works embody both meticulous craftsmanship and conceptual depth, reflecting on themes of human endurance, impermanence, and transformation. He has exhibited extensively in Korea and internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery, and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Chun Kwang Young currently lives and works in Seoul, where he continues to expand his exploration of material, form, and the poetic resonance of accumulation.