These days, contemporary painting can seem more at home on a tiny, handheld screen than in real-space human encounters. In dramatic contrast, Hur’s imposing, seductively layered canvases assert their real presence and their spirit of inquiry invites the viewer into a deeper dialogue.

Rigorously trained in traditional Asian ink painting in his native South Korea, Hur’s fascination with the colors and composition of Japanese food led him to become a chef. Through the two powerful mediums of pigments and cuisine Hur has developed a unique poetics of painting and performance to explore his personal dynamics, the Chinese concept of yin-yang.

This exhibition, curated by Daniel Kany, Portland art critic and historian, and Sarah Maline, UMF Art Gallery director, brings together two significant bodies of Hur’s recent work that together articulate a powerful and personal poetic.

The gallery is at 246 Main Street. Gallery hours are noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays–Sundays and by appointment. For more information, email maline@maine.edu or call 207-778-1062.

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