Kim Hwan Ki
Kim Whan-ki
Born in 1913 in a small fishing village in Sinan County, southwestern South Korea, Kim Hwan Ki, a first-generation Korean abstract artist, moved to New York in early 1960 and became an important Asian artist, dying in 1974. Before the 1950s, Kim Hwan Ki's work was mainly about the traditional sentiments of Korea, and after he moved to New York, he began to develop his unique style of abstract art with lines and dots.
Untitled 174 (1970)
05-IV-71 #200 (Cosmos) Oil On Cotton Diptych Each: 254 x 127 cm 1971
Kim's only diptych painting, 05-IV-71 #200 (Universe), was valued at HK$48 million to $62 million, making it the highest-valued Korean artwork in the history of an international auction house.
As Korea's first generation of abstract artists, Kim Hwan Ki blended oriental concepts and ideals with abstraction. Based on Korean lyricism, he creates his own unique art world with refined and gentle stylistic expression. His artwork mainly involves different tones and patterns. King's early works were semi-abstract paintings that allowed the viewer to see specific forms, but his later works were more deeply absorbed abstract, full of lines and space.
UNTITLED signed in English, framed oil on canvas 1960
Untitled Oil on canvas 52.3 × 40.5 cm
Huan Kee Art Museum
Opened in Seoul in 1992, the South Korean Museum of Art has a reputation both at home and abroad.
Kim Hwan Ki is the fourth child and his only son, Kim Sang-hyeon, a South Korean kuai farmer. In 1931, Kim attended Jiro High School in Nishijo, Tokyo, where he studied at the Nihon University School of Arts from 1933 to 1936. He also worked as an assistant for a year before returning to Korea in 1937. Kim's time in Tokyo proved that he was an abstract artist. During his time at university, he was influenced by his mentors Aoko Togo and Tsuji Fujita, who created a new wave of Cubism and Futurism in Japan after direct contact with European Cubist and Futurist artists.
<h2 toutiao-origin="h2">Untitled (2 works) Pencil on paper</h2>
Untitled Pen on paper Works on Paper 19.2×30.8cm
His works from 1937 and 1938 are thought to have made a marked shift toward abstraction, consisting of pure geometric shapes consisting of repetitive rhythmic circles and rectangles, squares crossing or overlapping. Before he returned to Seoul, Kim held his first solo exhibition at the Ammu Gallery in Japan. Kim left Tokyo in 1937, but until 1940 he was still submitting works for the opening exhibition of the Free Painter Exhibition in Japan.
8-IIII-71, 1971 Gouache on paper 56.5 × 42.5 cm
Untitled 3-V-71 #203, 1971 Oil on cotton Painting
After returning from his studies in Tokyo, Kim Continued to meet members of the Korean literary scene and developed a keen interest in traditional Korean art. By 1940, the exhibition was no longer known as the Freelance Painters Exhibition. It was called the "Society of Creative Artists" because rising military tensions did not encourage new ideas. The Creative Artists Association set up a branch in South Korea and held its first exhibition in Seoul, where Kim and other Korean artists, as well as some Japanese artists, exhibited their work. In 1941, King left the association.
25-Ⅰ-68 Ⅱ, 1968 Oil on newspaper 57.2 × 36.2 cm
29-Ⅰ-68 Ⅱ Oil on newspaper 57 × 37.5 cm
During this time, Kim Discovered aesthetics in Seoul, represented by Lee Chao white pottery and woodware. From 1942 to the war years of 1945 and 1950, Kim Hwan Ki's love for traditional Korean art grew. In the 1950s, he began to use these works of art as subjects in his paintings. He was exposed to different ceramic and wood crafts and enjoyed observing and talking about them for a long time.
"Our (Korean) clay pots opened my eyes to aesthetic qualities and Koreans, and it can be said that these clay pots are my textbooks."
Peony, Old Tree and Jar, 1950's Oil on canvas 52.8 × 45.3 cm
IMMORTAL CRANE AND VASE signed in English, executed ca. 1950, framed oil on canvas
Based on his works submitted at the Neorealist Exhibition, Kim's works from 1942 and 1950 showcase inspiration from nature and everyday life. His desire to present pure composition and simplified objects is evident in many of his works.
During the Korean War, the North Korean government, along with many refugees, moved to the southern port city of Busan. To be on the safe side, Kim also fled Seoul and spent three years in a refugee camp. The years are said to have been painful for Kim – his wife, Hyang-an Kim, recalls his intense anger and habit of drinking heavily, even as he continues to create. During this period, he created works such as "Refugee Train", "Gimhae Scenery", "Shantytown", "Jar and Woman" and so on.
Mountain and Moon, 1958 pencil and pen on paper Works on Paper 27×21.1cm
Untitled, 1966 Korean paper collage Works on Paper 35.5 × 24 cm.
XII-1966, 1966 oil on canvas Painting 50.5×40.7cm
When Kim Returned to Seoul in 1953, his obsession with jars grew again, even stronger than before. His works include Jars and Poetry, White Jars and Women, and Jars and Plum Blossoms. After returning to Seoul, he also taught at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Hongik University, held solo exhibitions at usis Galleries, and became a member of korea academy.
17-IV-71 # 201, 1971. Oil on Cotton. 254×202 cm
Kim's diary shows that his plans to travel to Paris have been going on for a long time. Beginning in 1954, many Korean artists began the journey, including Nam Kwan, Kim Heung-su and Kim Chong-ha. Paris, the capital of the modern art world, is the place to heal them of their sense of inferiority, which is due to their negative experiences with Western art in Japan. Although many artists and their works have changed a lot during their overseas travels, Kim has deliberately maintained consistency, continuing to depict themes such as jars, birds, mountains, deer, and plum blossoms. While in France, he began to better understand and appreciate Korea and the unique qualities of Korean art.
2-V-73 #313, 1973 Dated, signed and titled on verso 2-V-73 #313 Whanki New York Oil on canvas 150 x 101.5cm
After returning to Seoul in 1959, he was immediately offered the position of head of the painting department at Hongik University. In 1960, he became dean of the Faculty of Arts at Hongik University. He found himself spending more time teaching and administration than he did focusing on the arts. During this time, he often felt frustrated because of his clashes with other board members and the lack of connection between reality and his dream of an art institution.
Heaven and Earth 24-IX-73 #320, 1973 263.5 × 1974 cm
Kim traveled to New York in October 1963. This is the first time that South Korea has participated in the São Paulo Biennale, and Kim has participated as a commissioner and a special artist. In this exotic land, Kim Hwan Ki is full of confidence in his work and Korean art.
"The (Biennale) Korean showroom is good. My paintings are also good. I believe my art is meaningful. There is beauty in my art, and this beauty comes from my life in rural Korea. ”
Untitled, 1960-1964 Oil on canvas 91.4 × 61 cm
Throughout his career in New York, he has produced numerous works depicting the universe, planetary themes, sounds, echoes, and music. In the second half of his time in New York, Kim spent a lot of time collage, condensed paper and oil paintings in newspapers. It was during this period that Kim began to use dots in his work, sometimes even covering the entire canvas with dots.
Untitled oil on paper Works on Paper
4 - Ⅵ- 74 #334, 1974 Oil on cotton Painting
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As one of the most important abstract artists of contemporary China, Tan Ping's art not only includes painting, but also covers a variety of creative media such as printmaking, installation, video and spatial art. Over the decades of artistic practice, they have gradually formed a complex system that cannot be easily interpreted and discussed.
On the basis of combing Tan Ping's creations over the years, "Tan Ping Special Issue" of "Library Art" tries to find a new perspective and context for understanding Tan Ping's art. From the relationship between Tan Ping's art and modernism, his understanding of time and space, the influence of printmaking training on his artistic methodology, and the spiritual elements behind the seemingly rational and rigorous working methods, many of which are published for the first time. In this book, Tan Ping had an in-depth conversation with the editor, and the topics covered many aspects that had not been touched on before. This book has also recently compiled and released a series chronology of Tan Ping's works from 1982 to 2018, which has high documentary value.