HKUN

 

 

 

HKUN was born in Taipei in 1967, graduated from the National College of Art in Rome, Italy in 1996 and returned to Taiwan in 2000 to establish his career as a painter.

 

By combining single-frame images and paintings, HKUN constructs visualizations of simplistic spaces which serve as sensory catalysts, as well as prompt the rethinking of social and political issues. Since 2008, HKUN’s works have focused heavily on Taiwan's "cultural characteristics as an island", and the characteristics of thought and production of a migrant population to provide an interpretation of his own through a cultural perspective. In HKUN’s perspective, since human beings are social animals, early tribes were naturally formed by island dwellers. Those dwellers then moved or stayed according to their surrounding environments, and established a common lifestyle which would later become the local culture.

 

As the “self” and the creator, HKUN attempts to inscribe the cultural subjectivity of the island in the form of art, using the inter-subjectivity of the “I” and the “we” as his for of artistic expression. In addition to the investigation of single forms of individual meanings, he places even greater emphasis on exploring the space between individual forms, and their dialogue with the environment, while probing simple and direct methods to liberate painting/ imagery/ scripture/ multimedia from specific technical expressions. This is the creative thinking behind HKUN's artwork, anchored in the island he exists on, and his unique, unreachable subconsciousness, as well as the cognition and observance of the collective subconscious, deeply entrenched in the accumulation of historic assets. Through this, a higher degree of understanding of the personal subconscious is achieved, which forms the inscription of the condition of life. 

 

The work must maintain its logical dimensions, even inspire imagination and action, to answer the life politics of our greater environment. Apart from the special origins of the artistic meaning itself, the content of the work must be developed through the inscribed context. The form of visual artistic expression conveys life values through the view point of the “other”, thus  emphasising the cultural material of consciousness and cognition, which form the basis of the artist's figurative and formal values. Therefore, the “image” and “structure” must reflect internal, autonomous values, both figurative and non-figurative imageries have to define the rules and functions of space. Be it what has been realised in past experiences, or that which will be realised in the future, all is preserved in the form of art, beyond economic and political realities, and will stay alive in this form.

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【SOLO EXHIBITIONS】

2015 -  “City Scenes”, Rhythm Gallery, Taipei City

2014 -  “Beyond Time and Space, Condensed”,  Matsu Art Village,  Zhongli                Historical Settlement, Taoyuan District

2013 -  “On the Horizon”, VT Art Salon, Taipei City

2013 -  “On the Horizon 2”, Style Home, Taipei City

2012 -  “Preference, Utilitarianism”, 107 Gallery, Taichung City

2012 -  “Portraits of an Island”, Main Trend Gallery, Taipei City

2010 -  “Island Gardening”, Chi-Wen Gallery, Taipei City

2009 -  “Evolution - Island Culture”, 107 Gallery, Taichung City

2009 -  “Background - Island Culture”, Angel Art Gallery, Taipei City

2004 -  “Feelings”, STARTS Studio, Taipei City

2003 -  “KUNSTUDIO”, ITPARK, Taipei City

 

【RECENT JOINT EXHIBITIONS】

2016 -  “Zhen Peng Kun", Taipei Contemporary Art Center, Curated by                        Chen Xuan-Cheng and Chen Kai-Huang, New Taipei City

2015 -  "Island Productions, Overflowing Landscape", Gallerie Pierre,                          Curated by Chen Xuan-Cheng and Su Meng-Zong, Taichung

2014 -  “Like Mountain Peaks”, Nan Gallery, Curated by Liu Yung-Jen,                          Taipei

2014 -  “Breaking Through the Circle of Gathered Speculators”,                                    Moon12Art, Taipei

2013 -  “ITPARK 25th Anniversary”, IT ArtHouse, Taipei

2013 -  “Xingang Senior Art Workshop”,Xingang Cultural Museum,                              Warehouse 25, Chiayi

2012 -  “New Taiwan Mural Team”, Puli Paper Dome, Curated by ByWood,                  Nantou

2012 -  “Perceptual Production: When Knowledge Becomes Attitude”,                        Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Curated by Lin Hong-John, Taipei

2012 -  “Munich Outdoor Biennale”, By the west entrance of a large                            supermarket in Germany, Curated by Cornelia, Munich, Germany

2012 -  “Creative Brocade, Action II”, ArtDoor Gallery, Taipei

 

【WORK COLLECTIONS】

2012 -  Guandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei City

1996 -  Fazzini Art Museum, Grottammare City, Italy

 

【PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS】

2016 -  “Finding the Bamboo Tracks”, New Taipei Municipal ZhuWei High                    School, New Taipei City

2014 -  “Philosophical Discussion”, National Taiwan University, Taipei City

2007 -  “Topic”, Taipei Zoo, Taipei City