The Sound of Life: Solo Exhibition by Jinkwan Kim
June 7–21, 2013
P339 announces The Sound of Life by master painter Jinkwan Kim.
Jinkwan Kim’s paintings depict seemingly insignificant subjects from the natural world, portrayed with accuracy of form but given to the artist’s own sense of space and story. The paintings find another subtle dimension between the texture and color qualities of hanji canvas and varying transparency of the painted subjects. A close observation of Mr. Kim’s works reveals seeds falling and scattering in space, an ant hesitating among swaying grasses, and plums that linger vibrantly. One can detect this movement, possibly even begin to hear tiny sounds, experiences which Kim creates through suggestion and with refined delicacy of hand and mind. The balance between realism and the suggestion of reality is one of Kim’s superior talents. As much as he applies careful strokes onto the natural hanji paper canvas, he often leaves ample space untouched. Part still life and part imagined scenes, Kim creates stories and provokes feelings by mixing the natural world as it is with his own internal vision. The ant may be walking or still, the plums may have been recently washed or sun-drenched on a branch. Kim’s inner narrative, whatever it may be, removes the subjects from their original environment and suspends them somewhere in between the earth and his mind. The balance between the natural color of the hanji paper and the slightly transparent plants and insects imbues the paintings with a meditative feeling.
Mr. Kim paints onto traditional Korean hanji paper made by hand by a master craftsman, taking a full year to produce. The inner bark of one year old paper mulberry trees is boiled, processed into pulp, and formed into a versatile paper which is currently used for lamps, wallpaper, pouches and canvases. Hanji originated in Korea around 200 AD.
Jinkwan Kim is a Professor of Oriental Painting at the Art College of SungShin Women’s University in Seoul, Korea. He holds Bachelors of Fine Arts and Masters of Fine Arts degrees in Oriental Painting from Choongang University’s College of Fine Arts in Seoul, South Korea. He has held 12 solo exhibitions and participated in over 200 group shows.
Opening Reception: Friday June 7, 2013 7 – 10 PM
Williamsburg 2nd Friday Party: Friday June 14, 2013 7 – 10 PM