Prologue of the 8th Solo Exhibition – 2023 at NY Cosmos Gallery in New York
Willy Kim is a self-taught artist who opts discarded materials, recyclable items, and found objects as primary medium for his art making. As a landscape painter, he is interested in embodying lively movements of the scenery by adding volume and texture to his pictorial plane. Over the years, the artist has made a stylistic transition from figurative to semi-abstract sculptural paintings since 2004. This shift coincides with his gradual departure from watercolor and oil as main mediums.
Kim activates the canvas with simplified shapes and lines which effortlessly highlight the affective elements of the landscape, while downplaying topographical representations of the scenery. Reminiscent of the Chinese literati painting traditions in which the painter’s idealized interpretation of the real scenery is highly valued, colorful terrains reified in Kim’s paintings reflect his intimate memories of South Korea, families, and his current hometown in Canada.
In Kim’s art practice, painting landscapes performs as an act of place making. A longing for creating a ‘home away from home’ has been ardently translated into his work. Kim’s pondering gaze, shaped by diasporic sensibilities, is warm and inviting, and this gaze defines his mindscapes. Coming to terms with his father’s passing and unexpected ankle injury during the pandemic in recent years, Kim’s artistic gaze has become more contemplative and embracing.
Kim has exhibited in numerous galleries in Canada and South Korea. This is his eighth solo exhibition. Currently, he lives and works in Cobden, Ontario, Canada.
May 2023
Art Historian/Curator Euijung McGillis
Epilogue of the 8th Solo Exhibition
I say we are finally at the terminal point of the Covid after 2+ years of restriction. I spent my idling time surfing the internet while reminiscing about my past art activities. Painting on a hillock while staring at the scene of the golden fields. Picking up a paintbrush in the middle of the night to actualize my inspiration. Wandering around the Kyuongki mountains and fields to find painting materials. Capturing the brief scenery of the snowing village while I shovel the snow. Drawing my garden of sunflowers while reminiscing about my hometown. Making an artwork out of commonly recycled materials like papers, coffee powders, and sawdusts. These memories of 20+ years of art activities form a strip of timeline, visualizing my accomplishments.
One day, I encountered a traditional old Korean painting, a utopia landscape that prays for longevity. I wanted to pay homage to the painting. Longevity-symbolizing crane flies through the skies of Lake Clear, and a hope messenger trillium blooms in the utopia valley. By blending the themes of Korea and Canada, the past and the present, and the reality and the fiction, I wanted to capture these six contrary themes within my art. My new artistic attempt was my own way of healing my mind and body during the time of the Covid.
Due to the Covid restriction, I was only able to see the last moment of my father for mere 10 minutes in Korea. My mother and father used to harvest persimmons to send to their children in the fall; I can only see them through my artworks from now on.
Leaving these past memories behind, I intend to return to my daily life. I would like to go on a journey of sketching the endless beauty of nature.
May 2023
Willy Kim
Prologue of the ArtFair – FOCUS NEW YORK 2023
‘The Fusion of Texture and Matiere’ by Kim Byeong-kil
Kim Byeng-kil’s works feature Paper Clay, which creates a three-dimensional texture that evokes a certain pattern and a two-dimensional matiere that is planar and visual. His artistic style distances itself from general realism, which involves detailed depiction, and reveals the artist’s humanistic sensibility. He avoids hard edges and pursues a formal planarity that is warm and soft. The materiality of Paper Clay causes the whole screen to have a somewhat rough pixel that creates a visual harmony regardless of the construction of hue. These formal patterns result in a unity that brings visual pleasure and harmony by making appropriate changes in the formal elements of composition, form, and hue.
Written by Jong-Chul Park (artist, art critic, art columnist, representative of KCAA)
Prologue of the 7th Solo Exhibition – 2019
Mindscape: Poetics of Landscape By Willy Kim
Willy Kim is a mixed media landscape artist. He was born in Goheung, Chollanam-do, South Korea, and spent most of his adult life in Seoul. His trajectory as an artist started when he joined a high school visual arts club, inspired by admiration for his older brother’s artistic genius. Eventually, Kim’s enthusiasm for art led him to join a number of local artist collectives and to actively participate in various en plein air field trips with his fellow painters until he permanently moved to Canada. Kim blissfully recalls these days as a period of vigorous self-training and exploration of nature, which fulfilled his yearning for landscape painting. Kim immigrated to London, Ontario with his family in 2009.
Kim is a self-taught artist who incorporates discarded materials, recyclable items, and found objects from our daily lives as primary media. He had painted figurative landscapes using watercolour or soil in his earlier days of career, and gradually departed from the two-dimensional representations of landscape. His current works emphasize the lively movement of the scenery by adding volume and texture to the plane.
When preparing a piece, Kim primes the canvas with his customized paste in order to realize the relief-style images. Before colouring, he applies either a mixture of sawdust, oil and sand, or a thin layer of red clay onto the surface. For the same effect, he plasters a paper clay mixture of flour, ground paper and acrylic paint directly on the canvas with palette knives, clay knives, or forks.
In addition to the shift in the primary media for his art making, over the years, he has made a stylistic transition from figurative to semi-abstract sculptural paintings. Since 2004, he opts for simplified shapes and lines to capture the affective elements of landscape, downplaying its topographical depictions. Reminiscent of the Chinese literati painting traditions within which the painters idealize the real view through their subjective lenses, Kim’s landscapes embody his mindscape. His forms and colours transform through the process of deconstruction, deformation, and reconstruction. During the reconfiguration process, he establishes visual dialogue with nature, his intimate memories of South Korea, and the scenery of his current hometown in Canada.
In Kim’s art practice, painting landscapes performs as a way of place making. His longing for making a ‘home away from home’ has been consistently translated into his work. His artistic gaze, nurtured by diasporic sensibilities, is warm and inviting, and this gaze defines his mindscapes. They exist in elegant gazebos in the Korean royal gardens, his childhood home, and riverside scenes along the Bonnechere River in Eganville.
Kim’s work has been exhibited in galleries in Seoul and New York City, including galleries in Ontario, Canada. This is his seventh solo exhibition. Currently, Kim lives and works in Cobden, Ontario.
Euijung McGillis
Independent Curator/Lecturer
Epilogue of the 7th Solo Exhibition
I still remember entering an art studio for the first time, more than forty years ago. It was filled with the smell of turpentine oil. A strong scent of the oil ignited the passion for painting in my mind that day. Since my journey of painting started, I have taken breaks from it every now and then, but I have always come back to canvas, as a salmon would go back to where it was hatched to complete the circle of life. I humbly admit that it has been challenging to make time for painting while taking care of daily responsibilities as bread earner in the family.
In my art practice, I find motifs and themes of painting in my surroundings and in nature. On the way to Pembroke from my house, there is an old barn. Standing in front of this weathered building, I can visualize its heyday and the joy of the farmer in harvest season. I watch beavers swimming down along the Bonnechere River bank that is always crowded with blooming and withering Irises. These idyllic images lead me into the serenity of nature, which has become the recurring themes of my landscapes.
Among other repeated motifs, I enjoy painting sunflowers. They remind me of my hometown in Korea. Every year, I have planted sunflowers in the backyard to remember my summers in Korea, not knowing that sunflowers are indigenous to North America. It may have been the reason why I am drawn to sunflowers. They may have been homesick being in Korea as I have been in Canada. My landscape paintings embody all these personal memories and appreciation for nature, reflecting both the present and the past of my mindscapes.
As I contemplate on this artistic journey, painting has been instrumental in making meaningful connections with my emotions, admiration for nature, and most importantly, Canadians who have come to enjoy my artwork. Inviting all of you to my seventh solo exhibition in Ottawa, I am very thankful to continue on this journey of making connections with the places that I call home.
I greatly appreciate Director Yongsup Kim and Senior Advisor Moonsun Choi for holding this exhibition at the KCC. And finally, my special thanks to Euijung McGillis for her elegant prologue and sincere advice.
June 2019 Willy Kim
Epilogue of the 6th Solo Art Show
I see the Bonnechere river that flows through a valley. The current becomes rough, and it eventually turns into a waterfall. On the other side, I see the same river calmly acting as a playground for Canadian geese to swim around. Moreover, Lakes Dore, Mink, and Clear that surround Eganville feast my eyes with their ever-changing fashions throughout the four seasons. Eganville is the jewel of the Bonnechere indeed.
I’ve settled down in Eganville for 3 years. I am a landscape painter who likes to capture the beauty of nature. I fell in love with it because nature always brings something new and fresh to my ordinary and repetitive life. I have the memory of my first encounter with fresh sap green 40 years ago, my first reckless attempt at a solo exhibition 10 years ago, and myself painting under the blazing sun in the autumn field every now and then. These memories have kept me going as an artist until now.
Isn’t there a saying “Beauty isn’t something to be seen, but to be found.”? While I work at the convenience store, I often see drink containers, cardboards, newspapers, coffee powders, etc. lying around; they start to become meaningful objects to me. In this exhibition, I tried to recycle the garbage around my space as object. I enjoy thinking outside the box, so I plan to continue working on recycling art in the future.
Finally, I would like to thank the Arts Project director Sandra who willingly agreed to host the art gallery even before seeing my works, and curator Chris who took his time to write an introduction of my works.
2016. 8 Written by Willy Kim
Epilogue of the 5th Solo Art Show
Castles of Magic
Whenever I step out of my store, I cannot help noticing the two churches standing across the Bonnechere river. I see them every day for four seasons, but they never seem to disappoint me because they always look different.
The churches I see during the day look different from the ones I see during the night. Likewise in each season, they never cease to entertain my eyes with different colour schemes. It makes me wonder if I am actually looking at the same buildings.
To me, they are my “Castles of Magic”
I cannot seem to control my artistic impulses to paint, each time I see this scenery of houses arranged beautifully alongside of the Bonnechere river. I am filled with excitement just like a cook who receives new cooking ingredients. I would like to thank my teacher Gayle who helped and encouraged me to set up this exhibition.
With the support of my wife, son and daughter, I could spare the time for me to work on my paintings. I am a happy man, who can appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the “Castles of Magic” and can express my passion for what I love
June 2016 Willy Kim
Prologue of the 4th Solo Art Show
Willy is a self taught painter from Seoul, Korea. He developed his style and craft through being activity involved and challenged through high school and university artist clubs and later showing his work at solo exhibitions.
Willy describes himself as a painter who is attracted to nature. Whether it be the music of birds, the whistle of the wind or the trickle of water drops. Willy engages in a conversation with them and translates that to his paintings. All these things are a source of energy for his work.
Willy’s work was shown at the Hun gallery in New York city. Last year, he participated in the NEW CANADIANS Exhibition(Jun2 28- July 9) in the ARTS PROJECT. His work is also displayed at www.impainter.com
Oct, 2012 Written by Sandra(Curator of the ARTS PROJECT)
Prologue of the 2nd Solo Art Show
A painter who is attracted to nature
I don’t know how people will react when I express my feelings toward Mr. Kim. His enthusiasm for painting is so strong that I cannot help feeling a little bit nervous. The pictures make people happy with his concentrated effort. In fact, it is not easy for me to evaluate others’ works, because they have their own styles. However, I am sure there is something special in his paintings that may appeal to people.
In the spring of 2007, his second exhibition, many people came to appreciate his works again. I think his good personality also plays a part in inviting people. I know he tries to be better than he used to be, because his pain and patience is seen in his works.
I am very happy to have the company that I can spend time with as a painter. In addition, I am looking forward to the opportunity he can keep achieving and showing his enthusiasm in this exhibition.
May, 2007 Painter Byung-hyun Chon
Epilogue of the 2nd Solo Art Show
The Irish poet Yeats says in his poem, he cannot tell the dancer from the dance. So then how can I distinguish myself from what I am painting?
From time to time, on a sketch trip, I find myself assimilated into nature. In a bird singing, the water dropping sound or wind whistling, I can feel I have a conversation with them.
Each time, I see things that look different, such as the old cottages in Chunho Ri, fields in Eungok Ri. So, I try to show my changing feelings according to the changes of time. In my own words, the changing feelings make up my mindscape.
At every moment, I think the things seen in my eyes are a source of energy that I use when I paint.
May, 2007 Written by Byeongkil Kim
Prologue of the 1st Solo Art Show
“A Note for Kim Byung-kil’s First Solo Exhibition
Undoubtedly, Kim Byeongkil’s artistic endeavors are refreshing and impressive. I’ve heard that he faced considerable challenges recently, as recounted by another disciple. However, overcoming those difficulties and achieving a solo exhibition exemplify his resilience and determination.
His paintings, seemingly unassuming and meticulously logical, reveal both modesty and a raw expression of life’s struggles. Just as Vincent van Gogh carried his easel into nature, I look forward to Kim Byeongkil creating his own naturalistic artistic world through prolific creative endeavors.
Written by Park Bok-kyu(Painter)
Epilogue of the 1st Solo Art Show
While painting, I open my eyes to the dazzling light, and my wife steps into the living room. She gazes at me, engrossed in painting in the middle of the room. Her expression conveys incomprehension, and she retreats back into the bedroom. I am ensnared by the addiction to art, much like an unbreakable cigarette habit. If left unfulfilled, I feel a sense of loss and anxiety that must be assuaged. Obsessive thoughts persist. Now, I aspire to work with a little more leisure, whether it’s something I love or dislike. If it’s a lifelong pursuit, there’s no need to rush. To my wife and children, who sacrificed for my self-satisfaction, I express both gratitude and remorse.
