KIM YUNSEOB KOREA, b. 1983

After majoring in animation, I embarked on a new artistic journey, combining moving image with painting, while starting my exploration in the realm of visual arts.

 

My first solo exhibition, titled "<Pandemonium, Circumference>", was an experimentation with drawings that could be realized within the slippery surface of a monitor, forming the foundation for animated paintings. The inspiration for these works was drawn from my surroundings near the local train station. The exhibition capitalized on the concept of juxtaposing the act of drawing with the movement achievable within the confines of a monitor.

 

"Pandemonium" is a term I've coined as the opposite of "Samadhi" and it's used to convey expressions such as restlessness over concentration, reality over idealism, and motion over stasis.

 

Subsequently, after numerous experiments with various artistic mediums, I found myself returning to a focus on paintings since 2016. Starting with "<Pilgrim, This world is so old that there is nothing new.>I delved into the realm of animated-oil flat artworks. This eventually led to a series of exhibitions that expanded the forms of painting, commencing with the group exhibition "<Desperate, Pessimistic, Optimistic>". Centered around the welcoming and formal aspects of flat imagery, I began experimenting with painting, exploring the cognitive and online functionalities of images, as well as their material aspects.

 

In the year 2020, I presented a solo exhibition titled "<Pandemonium>", where I translated over a decade of restless movement into cohesive paintings. This unique presentation framed my portfolio as the very structure of the artwork, encapsulating a reimagined interpretation of my past works alongside my current paintings.

 

In 2022, I delved into experimenting with material gestures, layering images to build completed artworks. This practice represented the evolving limits of representational painting in the temporal dimension, serving as a reflection of my daily exercise and imagery. Throughout my journey, I've engaged in both writing and drawing, contemplating the forms, time, and meanings inherent within the realm of painting.

 

In 2024, I worked in a way that simultaneously engaged with both text and painting, allowing each medium to influence the other. Under the name Stay Active, I created both paintings and a novel, ensuring that the texts and paintings functioned not as direct counterparts but as complementary and distinct works. Here, I drew inspiration from everyday life, using it as the foundation of my work, while focusing on temporality and contingency.