‘The Banquet of the Monologue: Hal ’ was an intriguing title – one that sets you thinking about why acclaimed Korean artist and Professor Hong Hyun Cheol had chosen it to describe his body of work, exhibited recently at the Lalit Kala Akademi.
“It signifies one’s conversation with the self,” explained the artist. “The business of daily living pushes one into the constant flux of the material world, its demands and pressures. As the process accelerates, it de-humanises, pulling one further away from the sensibilities and empathies that connect to the truth of existence. This disengagement invariably translates into restlessness that sets one adrift on a path bereft of purpose or meaning, particularly in today’s world.
“To regain that all-important connect, it is essential to consciously identify external trappings and move away from the superficial. Once the veil obscuring a clear view of the true self, lifts, one moves beyond mere sensory gratification to seek harmony within. My works signify an escape from materialism, a gradual immersion in pure consciousness, by journeying inwards – a discipline that can culminate in self-realisation. As an artist and person, I travel towards this ideal. En route, there is a freeing up, a wonderful sense of release and peace that I try to communicate on canvas.”
“Hal is the highest plane of realisation to which a seeker can aspire, described in Buddhist texts, from which I draw inspiration,” he continued. “I am also inspired by the people I meet, their circumstances, conversations and human relationships.”
Varying states of consciousness were explored through a sequential series of monochromes in blue, green, red and finally white that signified nirvana. Serene vistas of a darkly verdant green and a gamut of blues were occasionally inhabited by nascent forms, both human and animal, in white. There was a disarming directness about these spare, rudimentary figures that appeared to have been viewed through a child’s guileless gaze, intent on piercing through pretence and affectation. In contrast to such seemingly simplistic interpretations was the sophistication in technique employed in creating the effect of a dense forest of black and white water lilies or a deep blue hive of rapidly multiplying organisms. The lotus, in bud and blossom, was a recurring leitmotif.
Analysing a mixed media painting in the red series, the artist stated, “Red signifies passion and procreation. Miniature figures represent a million little everyday happenings in physical reality. The animal forms in the final layer are pencilled in to denote that all life must, in the end, merge with Nature.”
Hong described his spaces as pulsing, alive, yet calm and unchanging. His liminal forms, directed at spanning a continuum rather than capturing a moment, glowed with quiet effulgence. Imagery, pared down to minimalist contours, was rooted in a Zen-like approach.
A graduate in Fine Arts and a post-graduate in Art History from the Jeonbuk National University, Professor Hong teaches at Yeonsei Art University and is a visiting professor at Chosun, Jeonju, Wonkwang and Kunsan universities.
The exhibition was jointly organised by the Inko Centre, OK - Art, Arts Council Korea and Jeonbuk.
