Ha Chong-Hyun Shows, Books and Auction Results

Ha Chong-Hyun in a black trilby and rimless glasses, chin resting on his hands, against a dark blue background — Ha Chong-Hyun. Photo © Kim Sang-Tae, courtesy Lisson Gallery. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration.

Last updated: 26 October 2026

Ha Chong-Hyun is the Korean painter who pushes oil paint through the back of coarse hemp cloth, a leading figure of the Dansaekhwa movement. Here you will find our take on his work, where Ha Chong-Hyun is on show now, the books you can buy in the UK, recent auction results and our review of his 2026 Lisson show.

Our take on Ha Chong-Hyun

Ha started his Conjunction series in 1974 and is still making it at 91. The method came from asking a simple question. “Painters normally apply paint to the front of a canvas; I began to ask myself, almost instinctively, what might happen if I approached it from the other side,” he told the Guardian in August 2026.

The hemp came from necessity. “In the poverty that followed the Korean war, conventional art supplies were difficult to obtain,” he said. “Among the materials around us were coarse sacks that had carried grain and other relief supplies from abroad.”

I gave his Lisson show 4/5. It covers six decades of work for free, from the burnt and wired 1970s pieces to the bright recent paintings, although those 1970s works are hung in the basement. Original Ha Chong-Hyun paintings sell at auction for well over £100,000, and he does not make print editions, so books are the way in.

Ha Chong-Hyun: the essentials

Born in Sancheong, Korea, in 1935, during Japanese colonial rule, and lives and works in Seoul, according to Kukje Gallery.
Graduated in painting from Hongik University, Seoul, in 1959, and was later dean of its Fine Arts College from 1990 to 1994.
Founding member and chairman of the Korean Avant-Garde Association (AG) from 1969.
Began the Conjunction series in 1974 and the Post-Conjunction series in 2008, according to Tina Kim Gallery.
Commissioner of the Korean presentation at the 1988 Venice Biennale and director of the Seoul Museum of Art until 2006.
Represented by Lisson Gallery, Kukje Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery and Almine Rech. The Ha Chong-Hyun Art Center opened in Paju, South Korea, in September 2025.

Ha Chong-Hyun exhibitions: now on and recent

Now on: Ha Chong-Hyun, Lisson Gallery, 27 Bell Street, London NW1, 24 September to 7 November 2026, free, Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 6pm. His first Lisson show and first London show since 2020. Read our review.
Now on: Ha Chong-Hyun: Retrospective, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, 25 September 2026 to 25 January 2027. His first North American museum show, with more than 50 paintings.
Ha Chong-Hyun, Almine Rech, Brussels, 22 April to 27 June 2026.
Forming the Monochrome Masters of Dansaekhwa, with Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo, Almine Rech, Paris, 21 March to 23 May 2026.
Ha Chong-Hyun 5975, early works from 1959 to 1975, Art Sonje Center, Seoul, 14 February to 20 April 2025.

Recent Ha Chong-Hyun auction results

Market signals

Averages over the last 36 months, in US dollars

Lots sold a year3

Sell-through rate100%

Average sale price$135K

Price over estimate↑7%

Figures from the Artsy price database. Last checked: 26 October 2026.

Conjunction paintings are what come up at auction, mostly in Hong Kong and New York, and nearly all of them sell. Three recent results:

Conjunction 17-99, 2017, oil on hemp cloth, 130 x 97 cm (51 1/8 x 38 1/4 in). Sold for HK$1,280,000 against an estimate of HK$800,000 to HK$1,200,000 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Contemporary Day Auction, 29 September 2026, per Artsy.
Conjunction 21-13, 2021, oil on hemp cloth, 117 x 91 cm (46 1/8 x 35 7/8 in). Sold for HK$1,778,000 against an estimate of HK$600,000 to HK$1,200,000 at Christie’s Hong Kong, 20th Century Day Sale, 28 March 2026.
Conjunction 15-172, 2015, oil on hemp, 130 x 162 cm (51 1/8 x 63 3/4 in). Sold for US$129,000 against an estimate of US$100,000 to US$150,000 at Phillips New York, 21 May 2026.

Prices include buyer’s premium. Last checked: 26 October 2026.

Ha Chong-Hyun books you can buy

Ha does not publish print editions, and none of his galleries sells any. These books are available:

Ha Chong-Hyun: Conjunctions, £100: the 360-page 2026 Skira monograph, 30 x 24.9 cm (11.8 x 9.8 in), from Coles Books.
Ha Chong-Hyun catalogue, £45: the 2022 Kukje book, 127 pages, from the Almine Rech shop. It ships from the EU, so UK buyers may pay import charges.
Ha Chong-Hyun – London/Paris, £36: the 2017 Almine Rech catalogue with an essay by Alfred Pacquement, from the Almine Rech shop.

Our reviews featuring Ha Chong-Hyun

Ha Chong-Hyun at Lisson Gallery review (Cool Factor 4/5).

Ha Chong-Hyun FAQs

Where can I see Ha Chong-Hyun in London?

At Lisson Gallery, 27 Bell Street, until 7 November 2026. Entry is free.

What is Dansaekhwa?

A Korean abstract painting movement of the 1970s, often called Korean monochrome painting. Ha Chong-Hyun, Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo are among its best-known artists.

How does Ha Chong-Hyun make his paintings?

He pushes thick oil paint through the back of coarse hemp cloth so it comes through the weave on the front, then works the surface. He calls the series Conjunction.

Can I buy a Ha Chong-Hyun print?

No. He does not make print editions. His paintings sell through his galleries and at auction, and books about him are available from Coles Books and Almine Rech.

Ha Chong-Hyun