After two decades of studying and practicing Western abstract art, most particularly Art Informel, Chung Chang-Sup turned away from the occidental technique of oil painting and started a series he referred to as Return — a return to his roots, to the affinities and histories of his native Korea. From this point onwards, he experimented with hanji, a handcrafted fabric that’s also called “hundred paper”. The name refers to the complex manufacturing process involving ninety-nine steps in order to fabricate one sheet. It’s extremely strong and primarily made of tak, the inner bark of paper mulberry. His tak works were produced by applying wet fibres extracted from tree bark directly onto the canvas.

Artists: Chung Chang-Sup