From paper-wrapped parcels to crystalline living matter: a major new monograph on the biomorphic sculptures of Chun Kwang Young

Korean artist Chun Kwang Young (born 1944) is best known for his textured paper sculptures. Taking mulberry paper (the making of which is an ancient Korean craft) as his primary medium, Young creates large creaturely entities steeped in cultural and historical symbolism. He also uses tea and other natural dyes to color the paper. His works resemble living beings: gigantic mushrooms, deformed insects or viruses. In evoking these life forms, the artist stages a performance that is both ritualistic and aesthetic—one that reflects on the interconnection between living beings, biodiversity and the life cycle.
Accompanying the exhibition at Palazzo Polignac at the 59th Venice Biennale, Times Reimagined features more than 150 color images from his oeuvre. Editor Yongwoo Lee contributes text throughout, interspersed with essays by scholars, curators, artists and philosophers.

Visual artist(s): Chun Kwang Young
Text by: Joan Cummins, Stefano Boeri, Manuela Luca-Dazio, Anne Pasternak, Andrew Brewerton, John Welchman, Wang Liyin