Sangwon Chun

The continuous theme of my paintings is megacities, the lives within them, and the traces they leave. Buildings, construction sites, and their byproducts are the main subjects of my works, often described in vivid, contradictory hues. Since last year, my work has been going through significant development, both in materials and concepts, experimenting with new ingredients such as pine pollen and Korean paper.

I start a piece by covering the canvas with oil, pine pollen, and/or charcoal, sometimes with Korean paper and sanguine. Different combinations bring out subtle surfaces carrying unsettling energy. Cityscapes with elaborate detail are usually painted on red or black oil-covered canvases, while more expressive sketches based on photography are carefully fixed on the canvases covered with charcoal or pine pollen.

I aim to invite audiences to contemplate city life, as many people today share a similar living environment in urban areas, especially in population-concentrated megacities. The main viewpoints of my works are the exteriors of buildings, construction remnants with deliberate details and colors, and photographic images of infrastructure painted in selected materials. With them, I try to expose the hidden struggles and ...

Bachelor of Fine Arts at Seoul National University

Solo Show

2023
Chun Sangwon Solo Exhibition, Nineone Gallery, Seoul

Group show

2025
Focus Art Fair London, Saatchi Gallery, London
Embodying Silence, Nineone Gallery, Seoul
The Other Art Fair Brooklyn, Zerospace, Brooklyn.

2024
Now, and then, Nineone Gallery, Seoul
Phenomena of Reversibility_part.2, Gallery The ARTE, Seoul
Korean Art Past Present Future, Okayama Tenjinyama Bunka Plaza, Okayama

2022
Seoul Auction X Zerobase, Seoul Auction Gangnam Center, Seoul
Zerobase Limited, Seoul Auction Gangnam Center, Seoul
PLAS 2022, Coex D1,D2, Seoul
Warming Sun and Wind, Leesoo Gallery, Seoul

2019

ART KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan City Suites Chenai Hotel, Kaohsiung
Korean Artists 2019, The Chosun Daily Gallery, Seoul

2018
Hello New York, Leesoo Gallery, Able Fine Art NY, New York
Korean Artists 2018, The National Assembly Proceeding Hall, Seoul
Asia Hotel Art Fair, Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas, Seoul
Balance Festival, Coex Hall D, Seoul

2017
PLAS 2017, Coex Hall D1, D2, Seoul
Leesoo Gallery Opening Exhibition, Leesoo Gallery, Seoul

2016
Cutting Edge_100, Gana Art Center, Seoul
Inviting four Art Universities - Seoul National University, Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum, Seoul
Gwanghwamun International Art Fair, Sejong Center for the Pe...