The artists of Origin aggressively confront hyper-emotion of the hot abstract which swept Korean avant-garde art. Their works might be viewed as aristocratic but they insist the canvas as a medium, and master the flatness of painting with moderation and control. - Lee Yil, “Vibrant Young Art”, 1967

The current exhibition entitled Origin organized at Galerie Perrotin, Paris, meaningfully traces back the footprints of Origin, a group founded in 1962 by a few elite artists comprised of graduates of the painting department at Hongik University, a prestigious private school in Korea. Origin has continued its development for over fifty years, which is exceptional for an art group, and has contributed in refreshing and broadening the boundaries of abstract art. Artists participating in this exhibition are the original founding members of Origin; Choi Myoung-Young, Suh Seung-Won, and Lee Seung-Jio. These artists are prominent members who exude distinct individuality while consistently exploring abstract art.

This exhibition seeks to demonstrate how Korean artists who are rooted in tradition confronted and overcame the ever-changing contemporary issues of the era. Korean artists of the 70s sublimated contemporary art to a “sculpture of the mother tongue” and on one hand appealed to the universal standards of aesthetics while modernizing tradition on the other. At the forefront of this movement were notable artists such as CHOI Myoung-Young, Suh Seung-Won and Lee Seung-Jio.

The realization of contemporary art rooted in the traditional spirit of Korea was a critical issue for Korean artists and it is only natural that these artists came to prominence due to their experience of dark history and hardship in the period of modernity. It is also a great joy to discover the state of pure meditation that is distinguished from an entangled spirit. It is hoped that Origin, which opens at the Galerie Perrotin, will provide an opportunity to introduce and illuminate the leaders of the Korean contemporary art to the sophisticated art aficionados of Paris.

Text by Seo Seong-Rok