When Seong-hun Han was born in 1956, his parents were well-known in Busan area. His father was a famous columnist and co-founder in local news paper and made a magazine of a medicine company. According to his neighbors, his mother was very smart and wise. She operated her own art gallery at Gwanbok-dong which was the hottest spot in Busan. So her place was the center of social group of the wives of politicians such as city mayor and congressmen.

Seong-hun Han showed early his artistic talent that might come from his mother’s side. Whenever he got the summer break in the middle school, he hurried to his uncle’s home to learn a poem because his uncle So-un Kim was a well-known poet in Japan. There Han could see famous foreign artists from America and Japan. As a first grade of middle school student, his heart was beating to see the creative and advanced modern art and he was inspired by it. As a 12 year old artist, he had sold two of his paintings with the authorized price in the authorized place. Not only were his paintings excellent in a natural way but also he had the contemporary art technique to make his own personal style.

In his second grade of middle school, a big crisis came to Seong-hun Han as a future artist. A new art teacher, who didn’t accept any excellent student in art, took the art class in his school. Unfortunately Jae-man Woo, who was the former elder art teacher, told him that Han’s talent could be a future Picasso and an even better paint than the new teacher. The new one had a hot temper and could not control his jealous anger to the young student. On the first day of the new art teacher, Han was thrown to the floor from the new teacher’s punch on his head while he was drawing in the art classroom. Han asked why he hit him. The teacher said, “You cheeky one! How dare you paint the mimicry way like adult? Student should follow the basic practice in student style.” Han was so humiliated, shocked and angry that he hurried home and threw away all his paints and brushes. Since then he stopped painting for 2 years.

But at age 17, the butler, who had worked very sincerely for Han’s family for 10 years, conspired with professional swindlers and took illegally three buildings and 10 thousand acres of land from Han’s family. By this fraud, his parents had to be hospitalized and Seong-hun Han with his 7 siblings were thrown out into the street. He had to bring the bacon to support his brothers and sisters for sending them to school and paying his parents’ hospital expenses. So he started to paint for other artists without his signature. His touch of mural, design, cards, illustration, catalogue, and etc. was so popular that he could afford to support his family. He was like the best singer without face. His products (in this case we call them products not artworks) were selling like hot cakes. Thanks to his popularity, he could give all his brothers and sisters a good education and have an economic recovery of his family.

One day he had a chance to show his kindness and consideration to an American who was visiting Korea and happened to see his art show. Once seeing Han’s painting, the American believed that Han had artistic talent and could be another Picasso. And he suggested that he could arrange Han’s exhibition in NY to show his talents to a bigger world. He was a famous flutist Julius Baker who was one of the art masters with the pianist A. Rubinstein in 20th century music.

Seong-hun Han came to NY in 1996. Julius Baker treated him like a close son. Thanks to Baker’s introduction to the NY art world, Han got to connect with lots of collectors. As his popularity grew, Han was becoming one of the top artists in NY for four years from 1996 through 1999. If he continued to stay in the New York art world for five more years, he could have been another Piccaso.

Meanwhile Han heard the shocking news that the violent art teacher, who had hit him in his youth, won the first prize in the world famous art biennale. At the moment so much desperate frustration and insult came to him, Han felt like hiding himself from this art world. Thus he decided to seclude himself on the mountain near his home town. There he devoted himself in art to surpass the art teacher and make his own signature for 2 years.

In 2001, Seong-hun Han was about to return to the art world. He got a letter from Chang-bae Hwang to visit the hospital where Hwang was. Just before passed away, this art master wanted to see Han whom he had never met before. Chang-bae Hwang had won the first prize by Korean President at the National Art Festival in his early twenties, which was the wish of all Korean artists, and he had been playing a big role in the Korean art world. After seeing Seong-hun Han’s paintings and articles in the newspaper Kookmin-Ilbo, he wanted to give his all brushes to Seong-hun Han with his last signature.

Hwang gave three comments to Han’s art work: First: This artist must be an autodidact. Second: It is very mysterious that this artist has such an imagination far beyond that of a regular Korean artist. Third: Ten years from now, this artist will establish Korea as an advanced country over the whole art world.

This prediction of Julius Baker and Chang-bae Hwang was correct. Now, twenty years after that, Seong-hun Han is showing Korean art to the whole world. Paul Huitt, who was on the committee of the International Art Festival celebrating the 60th Year of Queen Elizabeth II reign, said, “Sueong-hun Han moves the Korean artists’ status up to 30 years ahead for London people.”

- Seong-hun Han’s Biography is written by Tae-Byung Park (Artist and President of The Korean Traditional Clothes Museum).

The Parade of the Universe - The Launch, 46x31, Oil on Canvas, 2020, $75,000

The Dynamic of the Universe, 46x31, Oil on Canvas, 2019, $75,000

The Inner Ratio of the Universe, 36x26, Oil on Canvas, 2020, $45,000

The Dispersion of Light, 29x20, Oil on Canvas, 2020, $30,000

The Harmony of the Universe, 46x31, Oil on Canvas, 2020, $75,000

The Sound of a Heartbeat, 29x21, Oil on Canvas, 2020, $30,000

The Festival of the Universe, 36x26, Oil on Canvas, 2020, $45,000

The Blossoming of the Universe, 29x24, Oil on Canvas, 2020, $30,000

The Passion of the Universe, 26x18, Oil on Canvas, 2019, $22,000

The Deep Place of the Universe, 64x44, Oil on Canvas, 2019, $160,000

  Profile

- An invited artist to the Art Fair of the Louvre Museum in Paris
- The cover artist of 100 Anniversary of the Rotary International Club Committee’s magazine at Logo Art in L.A.
- The invitational solo exhibition for celebrating the 95th anniversary of International Lions Club Convention at Bexco in Busan
- The Korea UNESCO art grand prize for commemorating the 60th anniversary of UNESCO
- The invitational exhibition as a dispatched cultural ambassador (hosted by the Korea UNESCO Federation) for commemorating the UNESCO registration of Arirang as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in London
- Appointed to Four World Art-Master Exhibition for celebrating the 14th anniversary of Vergil America (Rober G. Cunningham-USA, Zeng Wei-China, Toguchi Tsutomu-Japan, and Seong-hun Han-Korea)
- The invitational special exhibition of 2012 Edinburgh Carnegie Hall
The invitational special exhibition for the 2016-2017 memorandum of Soo-keun Park by COAF
- The number one artist in the COAF chart
- The invited artist for ‘To go New York Sotheby’s’
- A representative artist of the International Art Festival for celebrating the 60th Year of Queen Elizabeth II
- The two year consecutive cover artist of Vergil America for the first time
- The special exhibition on becoming a Darcia Gallery represented artist.

  Awards

- The prize of artist of the year from the Korea Art Association in 2019
- The grand prize from the 70th anniversary of newspaper Japan Dong-A-Yeon-Hap in 2019
- The critics prizes from Paris Critics Association and Swedish critics in 2016
- A prize from the Korea Art Association in 2015
- The grand prize of culture from the 21st Century Forum Cultural Foundation in 2014
- The grand prize from London Artist Festival in 2012
- The prize of artist of the year from newspaper Kyung-hyang in 2012
- The grand prize from the international art exhibition of World Holy Art Foundation in 2011
- The prize of a year from Sports Seoul in 2011
- The prize of a year from newspaper Seoul in 2008
- The grand prize from Korea UNESCO Art Award for the 60th anniversary of UNESCO in 2007
- The grand prize from New York International Flower Painting Festival hosted by the International Flower Art Association in 1998
- A prize of the International Peace Art Award in the International Biblical Art Festival in 1986

  Activity

- Education: Self-Taught artist
- Birth : Born at Busan of South Korea in 1956
- Attended as a Korean Student representative for Art Festival to celebrate between South Korea And Japan’s normalization of   diplomatic relations in 1965
- Sold officially his first two paintings in 1968
- Persecuted by the well-known artist Kim in 1970
- Had his first solo exhibition by Busan Educational Office in 1973
- Had the solo exhibition for proclaiming the art message of Seong-hun Han to celebrate the opening Busan YMCA in 1975
- Competed the figure and the still-life paintings with the well-known artist who was the principal of S-art academy in 1976
- Disputed the current conventional Korean art at the symposium of Korean Six Major Artists and kicked out of there in 1977
- Had his first solo exhibition from an army division of Korea as a soldier in 1979
- Had completely sold out all of his paintings in the solo exhibition of Nodo Catholic Church in 1980 (invited by Bishop Chi-yun Jeong and sponsored by Cardinal Stephen Sou-hwan Kim)
- Had a series of four hundred and five paintings for 9 years in the weekly magazine Keedok-Sinmoon (1986-1995)
- Attended the Circuit Art Festival, the supporting program for Korean artists by Taiwan National Fund(Taipei, Taijung) in 1988
- Had an invitational solo exhibition in New York Cultural Center of Korean Service (Gallery Korea) in 1996
- Invited to have a solo exhibition for the anniversary of US Independence Day at Lancaster Spencer Hall, Pennsylvania in 1996
- Declared another Picasso by Julius Baker who was a master of New York cultural society in public in 1997
- Invited to the Art Festival of US Treasury in 1998
- Had an invitational solo exhibition for celebration of Seoul Holy Club Foundation (invited by In-pyung Yang and Yong-tae Jeon and visited by the former prime minister Young-duk Lee) in 2000
- Had an invitational solo exhibition for New Millennium Celebration approved by the Republic of El Salvador (invited by El Salvador Government) in 2000
- Had a special invitational exhibition for the national praying breakfast meeting of Wales Government visited by the former French Parliament Speaker, Delox) in 2000
Acknowledged to be a future Piccaso by Chang-bae Hwang, Doo-sik Lee, and Kee-tae Park in 2000
- Had a series of one hundred forty five paintings for the New Millennium on a newspaper Kookmin Ilbo’s new section planning in 2000
- Had an invitational solo exhibition invited by both the Hawaii Governor and the Defense Commander of the Pacific Rim for the 50th commemoration of the Korean War Armistice (Special Hall of KAL Hotel, Hawaii) in 2003
- Had an invitational solo exhibition to celebrate World Holy City Movement (only one artist selected and invited) at the Special Hall of Pohang Sports Complex in 2004
- Had an invitational solo exhibition in the Esther World Convention invited by a church minister Joon-gon Kim in 2005
- Had an invitational solo exhibition at Western Gallery in LA in 2010
- Had a planning and running project in Scotland Art Fair for Korean artists in 2011
- Had an invitational solo exhibition in LA Art Show in 2011 (complimented on the return of Georgia O’Keeffe from the art related people and citizens in LA)
- Had an invitational solo exhibition of World Missionary Invitational Exhibition for 2 years in 2011 and 2012
- Had a solo exhibition invited by Teo Art Museum in London in 2011
- Appointed as a representative artist of the International Art Exhibition in commemoration of London Olympics in 2012
- Had an invitational solo exhibition in Brunet Gallery, Nantes, France in 2012
- Was complimented by Paul Huitt, who was on the committee of the International Art Festival celebrating the 60th Year of Queen Elizabeth II reign, on moving the Korean artists’ status up to 30 years ahead in 2012.
- Become the invitational artist by Hong Kong Art Fair for 2 years in 2012 and 2013
- Become the invitational artist by Singapore Suntec Convention Center in 2015
- Become the top artist in COAF Art Fair for sold out paintings, collectors’ favor, and a favorite artist of attending artists in 2016
- Had the invitational solo exhibition at Paris Art Capital in Paris to celebrate the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France in 2016
- Had an invitational solo exhibition at the Nobel Commemoration Center in Stockholm, Sweden recommended by Korean Nobel Prize Foundation in 2017
- Had an invitational solo exhibition in Tokyo hosted by Korean Art Association in 2018
- Become the invitational artist at Paris Art Capital by Salon des Independants in 2019
- Had an invitational solo exhibition in commemoration of G7 Tower Gallery, Seoul in 2019