Past

In celebration of H-flux Gallery’s first anniversary, "Boundless Desires" explores how Minhwa—traditional Korean folk painting from the Joseon Dynasty—has been reimagined in a contemporary context. Minhwa emerged organically from the lives of ordinary people in the late Joseon era, expressing their humble desires with boldness and freedom, unbound by rigid formalities. This unrestrained quality stems from an innate human impulse toward pure, spontaneous expression. The exhibition features four artists who reinterpret the earthy and free-spirited nature of Minhwa through present-day sensibilities. While Minhwa has recently regained attention as a symbol of Korean identity, modern reinterpretations remain relatively scarce. What draws us back to Minhwa is its affinity with core values central to contemporary art—autonomy, breaking boundaries, and a spirit of defiance. This exhibition thus seeks to explore the relevance of Minhwa in the 21st century. Hyunsoo Kim draws from childhood memories of playing in the mountains and her father's career as a soldier. Her works combine symbols of Korea’s division and capitalism—money, barbed wire, the DMZ —into surreal compositions that can include tanks made of leaves and boats made from banknotes. By transforming these emotionally-charged objects into elements of play, the artist imagines a “self in flight” that breaks free from societal conditioning and repressive realities. Her works satirize the ideological weight of modern life while invoking Minhwa’s celebration of a free human spirit. Since settling in Korea in 2005, Yukako Kondo has worked with everyday objects and food as her primary subjects. By rendering them in the format of 17th-century Dutch vanitas still lifes, she invites contemplation of mortality and the essence of existence. While vanitas traditionally encourages reflecting on death, Kondo notes that Minhwa, in contrast, is rooted in a lust for life. Merging these disparate traditions, she creates her own genre of still life that delivers a profound message: "Live fully in the present moment." Her compositions—filled with familiar objects—playfully intertwine tradition with modern life, capturing both the fleeting nature of existence and the enduring simplicity of human desire. Jihyun Lee overlays Bearbricks — icons of 'kidult' culture and luxury collectibles symbolizing materialistic desire—onto traditional chaekgado (images of a scholar's bookshelves) painted on silk. Through this juxtaposition, she explores the instinct for psychological healing and the desire to return to childhood. While staying rooted in traditional materials and techniques, she inserts modern cultural icons to reflect today’s complex emotional landscape. Her layering of translucent silk adds visual depth and sensory density to the composition. Lee's works capture the duality of longing—between material desire and inner healing—and offer a reality where social ambition and personal happiness coexist. Minsung Lim reflects on nostalgia for his carefree childhood, immersed in nature. In his new Desirescape series, he borrows the background from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch and populates it with symbols of desire—both past and present. The painting juxtaposes cranes and pine trees (traditional Minhwa symbols of longevity) with luxury handbags, high-end cars, and players on the golf course. These features of modern life, serving as status symbols, reflect the gaze of others and reinforce social hierarchies. By placing past and present desires on a single canvas, Lim poses a fundamental question: “What is the true nature of the happiness we seek?”