Kwon O Bong Korea, b. 1954

Kwon O Bong was born in Daegu and received his BFA and MFA in Western painting from Keimyung University. He is an artist based in Daegu who has developed a distinctive body of work often referred to as “graffiti painting” through intuitive and spontaneous expressions of free-form lines. His process involves applying layers of paint onto the canvas, then using sharp tools such as knives, nails, and agricultural hooks to incise lines before reapplying color, creating abstract compositions where order and irregularity intersect to produce a strong sense of rhythm and energy. Using materials such as wood, nails, and farming implements, his inlay-like technique and thick matière vividly register traces of physical action, exemplifying the qualities of action painting. His work expands the concept of line into an ontological element embedded with temporality and corporeality, ultimately traversing the boundary between art and life.

 

Beginning with his first solo exhibition at Donon Gallery (Tokyo, 1985), he has held solo exhibitions at Yoon Gallery (1986), Ingong Gallery (1989, 1990, 1992), Leeahn Gallery (2009), Indang Museum (2018), and Daegu Art Museum (2024). He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions in Seoul, Daegu, Germany, Paris, and Singapore. In 2023, he was awarded the 24th Lee In Sung Art Prize. His works are included in the collections of major institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; Daegu Art Museum; Busan Museum of Art; and Indang Museum.