Biography

AHN Jisan (b.1979) works with traditional canvas painting, a relatively marginalized medium in contemporary art. His works depict reality, but one that is strangely misaligned or distorted. The depiction of obscure images adds visual tension, and these subjects, which have slipped out from reality, project an even greater uneasiness that brings out their innate anxiety. Upon confronting his work, there is an instant sense of discomfort. The emotional tension and gloominess are amplified by accentuating the material properties and mounting thick, expressive layers of paint onto the canvas. AHN's intention to express the subject in its raw visual state brings out the absorbed emotions created and embedded within it. These improvised animalistic expressions are possible through a thorough study and modeling process. The substantiality of the objects is neither constructed nor reconstructed but is, in fact, a realization of experienced, felt, and penetrated emotions. Rather than portraying the subject of conceptual representation through obvious imagery, the artist expresses the reality and emotional experience of the subject through intuition and empathy.

 

AHN Jisan was born in Busan in 1979. He received his BFA in Fine Art at Korea National University of Arts in 2006 and MFA in Painting at Frank Mohr Institute, Groningen, Netherlands in 2011. He has held solo exhibitions at various institutions including ARARIO MUSEUM in SPACE (Seoul, Korea, 2024), Galerie Bart (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2023; 2020; 2015; 2014), ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL (Seoul, Korea, 2024; 2023; 2016), Zaha Museum (Seoul, Korea, 2017), Hapjungjigu (Seoul, Korea, 2016), and more. He has participated in group exhibitions at ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL (Seoul, Korea, 2024; 2023; 2016), Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art (Ansan, Korea, 2020; 2017), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Cheongju, Korea, 2020), Daegu Art Museum (Daegu, Korea, 2017), Jeonbuk Museum of Art (Wanju, Korea, 2016), Arko Art Center (Seoul, Korea, 2016), and more. In 2013, he was the artist-in-residence at Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten (Amsterdam, Netherlands). In 2014, AHN won the Buning Brongers Prijzen (Amsterdam, Netherlands). His works are collected by numerous institutions including National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Art Bank, Seoul Museum of Art,  Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, ARARIO MUSEUM.

Works
  • AHN Jisan, Late Afternoon, the Bird Under the Chair 늦은 오후, 의자 밑의 새, 2025
    Late Afternoon, the Bird Under the Chair 늦은 오후, 의자 밑의 새, 2025
  • AHN Jisan, Lost Gloves, Severed Heart 잃어버린 장갑, 잘려진 마음, 2025
    Lost Gloves, Severed Heart 잃어버린 장갑, 잘려진 마음, 2025
  • AHN Jisan, The Last Night of the Storm 폭풍우 치던 마지막 밤, 2025
    The Last Night of the Storm 폭풍우 치던 마지막 밤, 2025
  • AHN Jisan, A Sip of Cola 콜라 한 모금, 2024
    A Sip of Cola 콜라 한 모금, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Blue Night, Falling Star 푸른 밤, 추락하는 스타, 2024
    Blue Night, Falling Star 푸른 밤, 추락하는 스타, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Blue Night, Star Descending a Staircase 푸른 밤, 계단을 내려오는 스타, 2024
    Blue Night, Star Descending a Staircase 푸른 밤, 계단을 내려오는 스타, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Boots 부츠, 2024
    Boots 부츠, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Burn The Rain 008 비를 태워라 008, 2024
    Burn The Rain 008 비를 태워라 008, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Burn The Rain 009 비를 태워라 009, 2024
    Burn The Rain 009 비를 태워라 009, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Burn the Rain, Mari Bitten by the Snake 비를 태워라, 뱀에 물린 마리, 2024
    Burn the Rain, Mari Bitten by the Snake 비를 태워라, 뱀에 물린 마리, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Burn the Rain, the Leather Man on the Rock 비를 태워라, 돌산 위 가죽 옷 남자, 2024
    Burn the Rain, the Leather Man on the Rock 비를 태워라, 돌산 위 가죽 옷 남자, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Cloud-Legs 구름다리, 2024
    Cloud-Legs 구름다리, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Cotton Candy Stuck Between Branches 나뭇가지에 걸린 구름과자, 2024
    Cotton Candy Stuck Between Branches 나뭇가지에 걸린 구름과자, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Energy Man 에너지 맨, 2024
    Energy Man 에너지 맨, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Green 초록 머리, 2024
    Green 초록 머리, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Hand Burning Cigarettes 담배 태우는 손, 2024
    Hand Burning Cigarettes 담배 태우는 손, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Holding a Dry Flower Firmly in Hand 메마른 꽃을 꼭 쥐고서, 2024
    Holding a Dry Flower Firmly in Hand 메마른 꽃을 꼭 쥐고서, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Narrative of Downfall, Three Chances 몰락의 서사, 세번의 기회, 2024
    Narrative of Downfall, Three Chances 몰락의 서사, 세번의 기회, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Pink 분홍 머리, 2024
    Pink 분홍 머리, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Swimming in the Dark Cloud 유영, 2024
    Swimming in the Dark Cloud 유영, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Three Wings 세 개의 날개, 2024
    Three Wings 세 개의 날개, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, With Nautilus 앵무조개와 함께, 2024
    With Nautilus 앵무조개와 함께, 2024
  • AHN Jisan, Cutting the Rabbit Ears, 2023
    Cutting the Rabbit Ears, 2023
  • AHN Jisan, Mr. Kim, Waiting for the Right Moment, 2023
    Mr. Kim, Waiting for the Right Moment, 2023
  • AHN Jisan, Snow Storm, the Water Deer, 2023
    Snow Storm, the Water Deer, 2023
  • AHN Jisan, Water Deer Hunting 1, 2023
    Water Deer Hunting 1, 2023
  • AHN Jisan, Water Deer Hunting 2, 2023
    Water Deer Hunting 2, 2023
  • AHN Jisan, Water Deer Hunting 3, 2023
    Water Deer Hunting 3, 2023
  • AHN Jisan, When the Cold Wind Blows, 2023
    When the Cold Wind Blows, 2023
  • AHN Jisan, Clouds Are Coming from the West, 2021
    Clouds Are Coming from the West, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, It’s Still Time to Hunt, 2021
    It’s Still Time to Hunt, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Last Breath Before Nightfall, 2021
    Last Breath Before Nightfall, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Magic Stick and Boksil, 2021
    Magic Stick and Boksil, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Mary & White Bird, 2021
    Mary & White Bird, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Mary in the Forest, 2021
    Mary in the Forest, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Mary in Yellow, 2021
    Mary in Yellow, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, One Hour Before Sunrise, 2021
    One Hour Before Sunrise, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Sad Mary, 2021
    Sad Mary, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Silent Night, Late Night, 2021
    Silent Night, Late Night, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 01, 2021
    Storm 01, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 02, 2021
    Storm 02, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 03, 2021
    Storm 03, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 04, 2021
    Storm 04, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 05, 2021
    Storm 05, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 06, 2021
    Storm 06, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 07, 2021
    Storm 07, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 08, 2021
    Storm 08, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 09, 2021
    Storm 09, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 10, 2021
    Storm 10, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 11, 2021
    Storm 11, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 12, 2021
    Storm 12, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 13, 2021
    Storm 13, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 14, 2021
    Storm 14, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 15, 2021
    Storm 15, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 16, 2021
    Storm 16, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 17, 2021
    Storm 17, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 18, 2021
    Storm 18, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 19, 2021
    Storm 19, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 20, 2021
    Storm 20, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 21, 2021
    Storm 21, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 22, 2021
    Storm 22, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Storm 23, 2021
    Storm 23, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Studio, 2021
    Studio, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, The Calm Before the Storm, 2021
    The Calm Before the Storm, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, The Place Where the Rain Cloud Is Not Moving, 2021
    The Place Where the Rain Cloud Is Not Moving, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, The Sea of Emerald Green Ice, 2021
    The Sea of Emerald Green Ice, 2021
  • AHN Jisan, Wild Winds Sweep My Heart, 2021
    Wild Winds Sweep My Heart, 2021
Exhibitions
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Publications