Chuni Park

Born in a rural farming village in Korea's Chung-chong province, Chuni Park discovered his artistic calling through soul-searching bicycle journeys and early experiments selling paintings in Seoul. This awakening led him to enroll at Hong-ik University at a later age, where his unconventional start fueled 28 years of dedicated artistic practice.

Focusing on "traditional painting"—then considered antiquated—Park envisioned its vital importance in an era of globalization. Through intensive studies of Eastern philosophy, he merges tradition with modernity, combining traditional themes rooted in local culture while breaking free from conventional Korean painting's rigid structures.

Park's practice extends beyond the studio through regular nature treks, where he sketches in situ to develop his signature pil-beop (brush technique). His "blurry landscape" series powerfully captures everyday domestic life within natural settings. Working with hanji (Korean paper) and muck (Korean soot-based ink), he also creates ephemeral chalk drawings on blackboards that he erases upon completion, embracing the Eastern philosophy of non-possession.

In innovative installations, Park hangs paintings like meat in a butcher shop, creating navigable mazes that viewers experience through their entire bodies. He has expanded his materials to include rubber, instant noodles, plastic bags, and blue duct tape, revealing landscapes through his distinctive perspective.

Through consistent experimentation without commercial compromise, Park has created his own genre within traditional Korean painting, offering international audiences a fresh perspective that honors heritage while pushing contemporary boundaries.