Dae Hak Oh: The Practice of Becoming
August 7–15, 2026
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 13, 2026, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
The Asian & American Art Foundation(526 West 26th Street Suite 211, NYC) is pleased to present The Practice of Becoming, the first New York pop-up solo exhibition by Dae Hak Oh, on view from August 7 t0 15, 2026. An opening reception with the artist will be held on Thursday, August 13th, from 6 to 8 p.m.
In his first New York presentation, Dae Hak Oh introduces a body of works created through a deeply meditative process rooted in repetition, material transformation, and personal reflection. Working with traditional Korean materials including hanji (Korean paper), ink, and shellac, the artist explores painting as a form of practice—an ongoing discipline through which memory, time, and inner experience are gradually revealed.
Oh begins each work by grinding ink by hand, repeatedly pressing the ink stick against the stone until the deep black pigment emerges. He then builds his surfaces through layers of hanji, shellac, and repeated acts of pouring, scraping, and erasing. Through this prolonged physical process, the surface becomes a record of time, carrying traces of both intention and disappearance. Some layers merge permanently with the wooden support, while others are removed or transformed, creating a delicate balance between control and surrender.
For Oh, repetition is not a means toward perfection, but a way of quieting the restless mind. By maintaining the same materials and gestures throughout his practice, he discovers endless variations within limitation. His works move between abstraction, fragments of traditional imagery, and constructed surfaces, revealing different manifestations of a single artistic pursuit.
The artist considers his surfaces as topographies of what remains and what disappears. His paintings reflect the fragments of lived experience—memories that fade, moments that unexpectedly endure, and the unresolved questions each person carries within. Rather than illustrating personal narratives, Oh creates spaces where viewers may encounter their own buried memories and forgotten emotions.
Currently pursuing his MFA in Studio Art at NYU Steinhardt, Dae Hak Oh received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). His works have been presented in exhibitions in Seoul, Chicago, and New York, and he has received the NYU Steinhardt MFA Merit Scholarship and the SAIC Merit Scholarship.
The Practice of Becoming marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in New York, introducing a distinctive emerging voice whose practice bridges traditional Korean materials and contemporary approaches to abstraction. Through patience, repetition, and transformation, Oh’s work reflects on the fragile yet enduring nature of memory, existence, and becoming.