현현 顯現: Koo Ja Hyun
Koo Ja Hyun’s Woodcut and Screen Prints
Choi Seung Hoon (Former Curator, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea)
Accumulation of Time – Screen Prints
Moving from long-term lithography work to screen printing, the most noticeable difference is technique. Unlike the flat plate method of lithography the stencil method of screen printing allowed a breakthrough in expression, especially in shifting from monochrome series to colour fields. The transition from black-and-white to colour, from single to multiple tones, from slow, laborious processes to faster production, and from restrained emotion to expressive release opened new horizons.
Screen printing emphasises the visual impact of colour. While monochrome lithographs conveyed depth and introspection, colour fields in screen printing create immediate visual pleasure. The ink is applied simply but densely, producing a refined, high-quality surface typical of the medium.
Even very simple forms in screen prints can achieve elegance and sophistication. Compared with the textured, blotchy effects of lithographs, where material viscosity and hand movement left traces, screen printing unfolds in a much cleaner, smoother manner. Yet this colour-focused approach often continues earlier explorations, such as studies of circular forms in early drawing, revealing a latent memory of shape and colour that reemerges in the screen prints.
The circles and ovals that appear in screen printing are intentionally printed with slightly shifted centers. By moving the center incrementally, narrow bands of colour remain along the edges. Unlike lithography, where a single surface records a momentary trace, screen printing is defined by the layering of colour fields. Each newly applied layer covers the previous one, causing earlier layers to disappear except for the residual colour bands at the margins. These edges reveal the sequence of actions and make the passage of time visible.
Each colour layer functions as a temporal stratum. What is seen is not a single moment, but accumulated time. In this sense, screen printing enables an exploration of a new temporality. Whereas lithography transfers the trace of a halted action and presents a fixed instant, screen printing reveals elapsed time through successive overlays of colour.
To visualise time through this process, screen printing demands a high level of technical precision. Maintaining consistent speed and pressure to achieve uniform colour thickness, as well as careful control over drying and storage, are all integral to the process. These demanding technical conditions underscore the discipline inherent in large-scale screen printing. The struggle embedded in the production process itself becomes part of the work’s structure, reinforcing the methodical and performative nature of the medium.
Performative Action: Woodcut
Koo Ja Hyun’s woodcuts belong to the category of all-over painting. In woodcut printing, where the surface is carved away, the act becomes a clear form of intervention. It is an intentional action imposed on a given surface.
In earlier works, lithography accepted chance effects shaped by the nature of the material, while screen printing covered the paper with layers of colour. In both cases, material played a role equal to that of action. In woodcut, however, the action itself becomes more visible and direct. The hard wood records each movement of the carving tool with clarity. What remains on the block is only the trace of the act.
The repeated act of carving is the core of the work. It is a purposeless and transient movement. Like Merce Cunningham in Fluxus, who repeated simple motions, the carving proceeds without narrative or representational intent, cutting the surface at a steady density. By letting go of representation, the act itself becomes the subject.
This action follows self-imposed rules, similar to the approach of Lee Kunyoung. But while Lee’s actions focus on measuring the body, confirming physical presence, or recording time, Koo’s carving emphasizes a meditative process. The act seems to extend beyond the finite surface toward something boundless. Through this process, the work reaches a state of mental emptiness, moving beyond measurable space and time
Unlike lithography or screen printing, woodcut reaches a state of non-thinking through a different kind of action. Instead of painting or drawing lines, the artist grips a carving tool and repeats a simple act of cutting in a few ordered directions. Through this steady repetition, the work enters a meditative state. The evenly spaced traces of carving, accumulated through countless repetitions, suggest an infinite flatness.
Woodcuts are printed on hanji. A patented paper known as KOO paper is used. The choice of hanji is based on a long-held conviction that it is especially suited to woodcut printing. Depending on the pigment, results may vary, but the decision comes from a refined sensitivity to how ink is absorbed and how colour emerges. The natural qualities and durability of hanji play an essential role. The combination of wood type, carving tools, applied force and movement, paper selection, and printing method shows a deeply embodied technical knowledge. This accumulated expertise reflects both sincerity and long experience in the practice of woodcut printing.