Hong Sungchul, currently based in Korea, uses lines as the main element in his works while also reflecting the regularity of parallel. He turns photographs into three-dimensional works of art by printing the photographs onto a series of elastic bands that he then aligns at varying depths. By doing so, he displays both the physical and mental flexibility the viewer can have while observing his works.
Hong’s use of various media and modern technology prompts interaction and performance from his viewers. His works never fully reveal themselves upon a viewer’s initial glance, thereby communicating the deep desire for human contact within society. As his works exude a ghostly quality, they call for their viewers to question their visual sense and abandon their sole reliance on their eyes and use their bodies and voices to prompt cooperation with the works. Stripping away the isolating experience traditionally encountered within art galleries, Hong initiates a dialogue both with and between viewers, instilling the sense of community so prised in Korean culture. Hong’s current body of work revives his string concept – a visual representation of what ties humans together from the earliest stage of life – the umbilical cord. These strings, upon which an image is printed, are staggered in his works and interlace to reveal a final representation – one of support or loneliness.
Hong embraces modern technologies and various media within his works. Hong’s artworks have been exhibited globally, such as in HADA Contemporary and Saatchi Gallery in London, UK, Galerie Orem in Paris, France, Kallenbach Gallery in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Waterfall Gallery in NYC, Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts in NY, CalArts in LA, and Gallery IHN, Seoul, Korea.
Hong Sungchul completed both his MFA and BFA in sculpture at Hongik University in Seoul before completing another MFA in Integrated Media at California Institute of the Arts.
