1/2
Selection
By the Side of Fading Things
Chung Sang Gon2025.03.07 ~ 2025.06.30
Description of the work
- Media Oil on canvas
- Location LOTTE HOTEL SEOUL MAIN TOWER 1F
On a canvas imbued with deep darkness, radiant flowers bloom with striking intensity. The vivid colors contrast sharply against the black background, while the expressive traces of free brushstrokes fill the entire space. The flowers painted by Chung Sang Gon are far from mere still life. His works are a contemplation of fleeting beauty and profound emotions.
He believed that the fluidity of oil paint on canvas and the spontaneous blending of colors could better convey the essence of emotions. This is also why he chose flowers as his primary subject. Once dazzlingly vibrant, flowers inevitably wither over time. However, the emotions felt at the moment of receiving flowers do not fade. By depicting ephemeral subjects, he explores the permanence of emotions, making his works much more than simple landscapes or still-life paintings.
Artwork Inquiry 1533-8017
He believed that the fluidity of oil paint on canvas and the spontaneous blending of colors could better convey the essence of emotions. This is also why he chose flowers as his primary subject. Once dazzlingly vibrant, flowers inevitably wither over time. However, the emotions felt at the moment of receiving flowers do not fade. By depicting ephemeral subjects, he explores the permanence of emotions, making his works much more than simple landscapes or still-life paintings.
Artwork Inquiry 1533-8017
About the author
Chung Sang Gon graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in painting and later specialized in printmaking at the same institution’s graduate school. Gaining early recognition in the Korean art scene, he made a global impact by winning the Grand Prize at the Tallinn International Print Triennial in 1998 and the Grand Prize at the Ljubljana International Print Biennale in 1999. After establishing himself as a world-renowned printmaker, he transitioned to oil painting to express emotions more intuitively.
Having started in printmaking and later developing a unique approach to expressive landscapes and still lifes, Chung Sang Gon has held over 40 solo exhibitions since the 1990s in cities such as Seoul, Berlin, Tallinn, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Novosibirsk. His artistic achievements have been widely recognized, earning him numerous awards, including the Dong-A Art Prize at the Dong-A Art Festival in 1992, as well as accolades from international competitions such as the Krakow Triennial, the Tallinn International Print Triennial, the Ljubljana Biennale, and the Oldenburg International Print Triennial. His works are part of the collections of major institutions, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the British Museum in the UK, the Seoul Museum of Art, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, the Korea Development Bank, and the Park Soo Keun Museum.
Chung Sang Gon (1963,~ Korea)
M.F.A. Printmaking, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
B.F.A. Painting, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
B.F.A. Painting, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
