Kim Kyung-hee captures vitality through vibrant colors

"The Song of My Mind #1" by Kim Kyung-hee / Courtesy of the artist and Keumsan Gallery

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Artist Kim Kyung-hee has unveiled her latest burst of color and energy at Keumsan Gallery in central Seoul.

At her solo exhibition, "My Dream, My Love," Kim presents 40 pieces, including her latest watercolor, "Someday Autumn Night."

Kim finds hope in flowers and depicts them on canvas. The artist visualizes the source of life such as love, reminiscences and longing with her unique use of whimsical colors.

"Kim tries to replace despair and sorrow with joy and happiness with her lively colors and energetic strokes. Her major colors, the intense combination of red and green, are a reflection of her mature yet heated inner side," the gallery said.

"Such vivid and wild colors swirl on the canvas, portraying the artist's agony, audacity and passion. Those colors gain new life through Kim's bold brushstrokes, reflecting her lifepath."

"Someday Autumn Night" by Kim Kyung-hee / Courtesy of the artist and Keumsan Gallery

Kim majored in architecture, but she was fascinated with fine art and won the National Art Exhibition when she was a senior in university, shifting her life course.

Kim, who is proficient in both oil painting and watercolor, is a member of the Korean Fine Arts Association. Currently, she serves as president of the Korean Watercolor Painters Group, broadening the expression of watercolor through experiments since 2011.

She held several solo exhibitions from 1988 to 2000, and refocused on her artistic career after being invited for an exhibition at Nanjing University in 2018.

Other than her artistic career, Kim was the chairwoman of the Konkuk University Foundation from 2001 to 2017. Her major achievement was developing Star City Mall on a school-owned site.

Kim is the daughter-in-law of Yoo Seok-chang, the founder of Konkuk University. Kim continued to paint after getting married but when her husband passed away after eight years, she headed to the United States and studied further at the Otis Art Institute of the Parsons School of Design, Los Angeles.

Kim appreciates her father-in-law Yoo for understanding and supporting her career as a painter.

The exhibit runs through June 5.