Ha Sungwook (b. 1991) explores the material qualities and sculptural possibilities of leather, using it as his primary medium after it has been classified as surplus or waste within the production processes of the leather industry. Moving beyond leather’s conventional functions and forms, he creates new three-dimensional structures through processes of bending, connecting, layering, and carving, continuously pursuing a range of sculptural experiments. His works encompass a broad sculptural vocabulary, from organic forms reminiscent of plant stems and roots or the bodies of living organisms to structures that reveal the material’s layers and cross-sections. In his practice, individual pieces of leather establish relationships of interdependence, coming together to form new wholes. Through this process, leather simultaneously evokes its material origins in the animal body while acquiring a new mode of existence, detached from established systems of production and consumption.

Ha Sungwook received his BFA in Sculpture from Kyung Hee University and his MFA in Fine Arts from Seoul National University of Science and Technology. He has held solo exhibitions at Dive Seoul, Seoul (2025), and Complex, Seoul (2026). His selected group exhibitions include The 8th Changwon Sculpture Biennale: Resonant Field, Changwon (2026); Metamorphosis, Art Space 3, Seoul (2026); Intimate Conversations, Culture Salon 5120, Seoul (2025); Pygmalion’s Fingertips, THEO Gallery, Jakarta (2025); Cheonman Art for Young, Nodeul Gallery, Seoul (2025); Forest of Duets and Chorus, Culture Salon 5120, Seoul (2025); and When You Strike the Wall, the Pillar Resonates, Case Seoul, Seoul (2024). His works are included in the collection of KooHouse Museum.