Critically acclaimed for his monochromatic abstractions, Yun Hyong-keun was one of the pioneers of the Korean post-war avant-garde who introduced the Dansaekhwa (monochrome paint) movement. As the pupil and son-in-law of Kim Hwan-Ki, a prominent artist in Korean abstract art, Yun was motivated to develop his signature technique that recalls traditional Asian ink painting. Beginning in the 1970s, Yun began to apply the arduous process of diluting pigment and meticulously overlapping thin layers on top of each other over an extended period of time. Such method added depth through the wide range of shades that resulted. The extensive and organic process not only embodies temporality but also reflects the artist’s unique philosophy on the harmony between nature and art. Inspired by calligrapher Kim Jong-Hui, Yun believed that art should be one with nature, thus he used the colors of earth to create works that were pure, meditative and void of any trace of artifice. Yun explained, “I want to make paintings that, like nature, one never tires of looking at. That is all I want in my art”.

Yun was also driven by the abstract works of Mark Rothko to explore space, absence and presence. The blankness in the composition of his works assimilates the elements of Western minimalism, yet the blank space in Yun’s works represents a positive element of compositional totality. Such artistry distinguished Yun from his contemporaries and influenced later artists such as Donald Judd, who was mesmerized by Yun’s enigmatic creations.