Artists

Youngju Joung

Press release

Joung Youngju’s paintings of Korean shanty towns are imbued with elements of the country’s history and society, down to their very fibre. The artist has developed her own technique of applying small pieces of the traditionally and locally made hanji paper onto the surface of the canvas to provide depth and texture to her subjects. The tradition of hanji paper, made from the bark of the indigenous paper mulberry tree, dates to around the third century; it absorbs sunlight, giving the material a warm hue. Due to its durability, water resistance, and permeability, hanji paper is used in traditional Korean houses—covering floors, walls, ceilings, windows, and doors—to help control temperatures and protect from the elements. There is a satisfying resonance in Joung’s  use of the paper that makes up traditional Korean houses as a mode to depict them in her contemporary art. The artist has worked with hanji paper since 2007, starting her works with a pencil sketch and then adding small pieces of cut hanji paper, wrinkling them with a knife and layering them from the bottom up before applying acrylic paint. The crumpled effect reflects the materiality of the old, worn buildings and their vulnerability in the modern world.