Ha Tae-im draws on life experiences to create art
Bands of vibrant colors criss-cross a canvas in layered brushstrokes, some evoking movements from rhythmic gymnastics. Korean artist Ha Tae-im, 52, has explored a diversity of colors in these simple shapes.
“For yellow, I keep painting thin layers of it on the canvas over and over, letting each one dry for an hour or so. That way, the colors appear clear and transparent, with lines of hair-like strands,” the artist said during an interview with The Korea Herald on June 23 at Seoul Auction.
Ha recently finished a residency program at Seven Stones Estate, a winery located in the eastern hills of Napa Valley in California, founded in 1996. She showcased some of her works, including those she created during the residency, at the exhibition "Ha Tae-im in Seven Stones Estate” at Seoul Auction, held from June 19 to 24.
“I vividly remember the scent from the winery, which was so impressive. The scent of the lavender, rosemary, orange and lemon trees is unforgettable. I think the memory of the winery is a good seed that will grow into art of my own,” Ha said.
“I believe my works are the accumulation of what I have experienced -- from where I've been, whom I've talked to, and what I've read and seen. I think artists need to be exposed to a variety of experiences, not just being stuck in a studio,” she added.
The exhibition brought together 27 paintings -- 18 gouache works created during her residency and nine acrylic paintings. The residency was an inaugural project launched by Seoul Auction and Hanwha Solutions, an eco-friendly energy materials company under Hanwha Group.
Ha started her so-called “color band” paintings when she returned to Korea after studying at Beaux-Arts de Paris, a school recommended by her father, Ha In-doo, himself a Korean abstract art master who died when she was 16. It was her father who led her to become an artist when she struggled as a teenager aspiring to become a professional flutist, she recalled.
Heading to France alone, she struggled with the language barrier.
“I wrote letters on canvas and then erased them with layers of paint -- the idea being that a real conversation goes beyond letters and language,” she said. “The act of erasing has developed into paintings of vibrant color bands.
“After I came back to Korea, I started finding comfort in colors and realized that I could communicate through color, which is when letters disappeared. Then, I began to delve into the combination of colors,” she said.
She named her series “Un Passage,” meaning "a passage" in English, expressing her hope that people who see her works can communicate with their inner selves and discover their own emotions.
“I think art is pretty similar to music -- it's an orchestra that I play myself. Classical music evokes universal feelings in people, and that is similar to abstract painting. I often relate my art to music,” Ha said.
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