Chul Park (b. 1950) is a pioneering Korean contemporary artist who is widely recognized as a pioneer of hanji relief painting, expanding the medium's possibilities through decades of material experimentation. Trained initially as a Western-style painter, Park developed exceptional technical skill in figurative painting before turning to experimental work with hanji in the 1980s. A pivotal moment came during visits to rural villages threatened by the construction of the Andong Dam, where weathered architectural and domestic objects inspired a new visual language rooted in memory, material, and place.

Working through a meticulous process of beating, layering, molding, and shaping hanji, Park transforms paper into richly textured relief surfaces that blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture. His works draw inspiration from traditional Korean objects—including straw mats, wooden boards, roof tiles, and woven baskets—as well as modern Western forms such as violins and golf clubs, creating unexpected dialogues between East and West, tradition and modernity, and the natural and manufactured worlds. Rather than representing these objects literally, Park distills their textures, rhythms, and histories into abstract compositions that celebrate the material itself.

Over more than three decades, Park has continually expanded the language of relief painting through experimentation with structure, surface, and color. In recent years, he has refined the use of natural dyes derived from acorns, mugwort, safflower, cloves, and other botanical pigments, achieving subtle, organic palettes that reinforce the ecological sensibility of his practice. Guided by ideas of communication, harmony, transformation, and renewal, Park's work reflects a profound respect for Korean craft traditions while demonstrating the enduring relevance of hanji within contemporary art.