Minjung Kim, born in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1962, is a contemporary artist who is celebrated for her unique ink paintings that combine Korean traditional aesthetics with process-driven art. Encouraged by her family, Kim trained under master calligraphers, developing precision and a deep understanding of Asian philosophical traditions.

She studied Oriental painting at Hongik University, Seoul, in 1980 and focused on ink painting materials during her Master's program, graduating in 1985. Her fascination with European art led her to Milan, where she graduated from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in 1991. Here, she analyzed works by Western artists like Paul Klee and Franz Kline, who had been influenced by Oriental painting. This sparked a shift in her art, moving away from Korea's figurative tradition toward a focus on the expressive potential of marks and textures.

Kim's work bridges Eastern and Western techniques and philosophies. Kim always executes her pictorial work on the floor, in keeping with Asian tradition, as the floor is, both literally and metaphorically, the basic support for all painting. Kim has mastered two fundamental mediums she mainly uses: mulberry Hanji paper and ink. Kim has created shapes and layered compositions with that paper for two decades by burning the edges or perforating it with the flame of a candle or incense. She is essentially drawing the lines with fire, not a pen, the burnt edges casting a brownish shadow onto the paper. For Kim, this repeated process symbolizes the transience of time and it’s layering into different time spheres. 

Since 1998, she has layered mulberry Hanji paper in her work. The burnt edges give her compositions a dynamic quality, revealing forms that flourish, fade, and re-emerge in a serene, interconnected space. Her choice of mulberry Hanji paper stems from its exceptional versatility and responsiveness to her techniques. Initially inspired by the rhythmic flow of music, she transitioned from hand-drawn ink lines to incorporating the natural, unpredictable marks created by candlelight or incense burns. Through the repetitive work of burning and layering mulberry Hanji paper, she conveys the process of emotional healing and meditation.

Over the past two decades, Kim has exhibited extensively across Europe, Korea and the United States. Her numerous solo and group exhibitions have included shows at prestigious public institutions and major art events. Highlights include her showcase at the Venice Biennale in 2015, a solo exhibition at the Gwangju Museum of Art in 2018, a group show at the Langen Foundation in Germany in 2019, and exhibitions in the US at the Princeton University Art Museum in 2020 and the RIDS Museum in 2022, with both institutions acquiring one of her paintings.

Institutional exhibitions have played a pivotal role in bolstering Kim’s market appeal. These events have drawn interest from private collectors and major public collections, further cementing her position in the global contemporary art scene. Kim’s works are now part of prestigious public collections, including the British Museum in London, Leeum Samsung Museum in Seoul, and Musée des Arts Asiatiques in Nice.

Selected Solo Shows:

·   2024

“Minjung Kim: Mountain”, Fondation Maeght, Saint Paul de Vence, France – ongoing until February 2025

“Art Basel Art Fair - Untitled”, Gallery Hyundai, Basel, Switzerland

“Minjung Kim: Regeneration”, Almine Rech, Paris, France

“Minjung Kim: Repeticion”, Galerie Nordenhake, Mexico City, Mexico

·   2023

“Minjung Kim”, Robilant + Voena, St Moritz, Switzerland

“Burning Gravity by Minjung Kim”, Sotheby’s, Monaco

“Trace” during Gallery Weekend, Almine Rech, Beijing, China 

“TEFAF New York Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, New York, USA

·   2022

“Minjung Kim: Traces”, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

·   2021

“Minjung Kim: Timeless”, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

“Long Street of Timeless History of Phasing Grey Snow into Water”, Galerie Volker Diehl, Berlin, Germany

·   2020

“Minjung Kim”, Hill Art Foundation, New York, USA

“Minjung Kim”, Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, Online

Selected Group Shows:

·   2024

“Art Basel Miami Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Miami, USA

“Art Basel Miami Art Fair”, Galerie Nordenhake, Miami, USA

“Good Morning Korea, In the Land of the Morning Calm”, Maison Guerlain, Paris, France

“Frieze London Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, London, UK

“A Product of Time: 25 Years of Two x Two for Aids and Art”, The Warehouse, Dallas, USA

“KIAF Art Seoul Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

“Summer”, Almine Rech, Gstaad, Switzerland

“Gesture & Form: Woman in Abstraction”, Almin Rech, New York, USA

“Art Basel Art Fair”, Galerie Nordenhake, Basel, Switzerland

“Edition R: Incorporeal Landscape”, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

·   2023

“Art Basel Miami Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Miami, USA

“Karma: Minjung Kim, Jungwook Kim, Mike Lee, Moka Lee”, Jason, Seoul, Korea

“Minjung Kim, Rebecca Salter & Diogo Pimentão”, Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, London, UK

“Summer Selections”, Hunter Dunbar Projects, New York, USA

“Heroic Indifference”, Galerie Volker Diehl, Berlin, Germany

“Paper”, Tristan Hoare, London, UK

“Feeling of Light”, Almin Rech, Brussels, Belgium

“Soft and Weak Like Water” – The 14th Gwangju Biennale, Gallery Hyundai, Gwangju, Korea

“Over the Top”, Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, Brussels, Belgium

“ART SG Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Singapore

·   2022

“Art Basel Miami Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Miami, USA

“Frieze London Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, London, GB

“Still Masters II”, Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, London, UK

“KIAF Art Seoul Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

“Frieze New York (The Shed) Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, New York, USA

“Summer Love 2022”, SongEun ArtCube, Seoul, Korea

“TEFAF New York Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, New York, USA

“Galleries Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea

“Frieze Los Angeles Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Los Angeles, USA

·   2021

“Art Basel Miami Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Miami, USA

“Frieze London Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, London, UK

“Still Masters”, Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, London, UK

“Day & Night Part 2”, Gallery Hyundai, Online

“Frieze New York (The Shed) Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, New York, USA

·   2020

“KIAF Art Seoul Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Online Viewing Room

“Timeout”, Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, London, UK

“Hyundai 50 Part II”, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul Korea

“Frieze New York Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Online Viewing Room

“TEFAF Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Maastricht, Netherlands

“Frieze Los Angeles Art Fair”, Gallery Hyundai, Los Angeles, USA

The piece we offer belongs to the "Tide" series, created by Kim in years 2006 and 2007. This series showcases her meticulous technique with mulberry Hanji paper, employing methods such as burning and layering to evoke themes of time, emotion, and meditation. Through her work, Kim explores the harmony between Eastern and Western artistic traditions, crafting a visual language that is both tranquil and dynamic.

Exploring the relationship between Asian and Western techniques and concepts in art and finding equilibrium between them has since become Kim's principal theme and artistic endeavor. Passing down principles and philosophies is vital in the teaching of traditional Korean art. The training has given her a deep understanding of Korean philosophy, namely Buddhism and Taoism, whose notions of Yin and Yang, nature and culture, order and chaos, light and shadow continue to influence her. Now living mainly in Western cultures, Kim has absorbed and cultivated many independent strands of artistic legacies across cultures and approaches these diverse legacies as a lived experience rather than abstract knowledge.