[KOREAN ARTIST] Kim Whanki: Korea’s Pioneer of Abstraction

A Life of Wanderlust and Artistic Evolution

Born in 1913 on Kijwa Island, South Korea, Kim Whanki defied his father to pursue art, studying at Nihon University in Tokyo from 1933. His early exposure to Cubism and Surrealism shaped works like When the Skylarks Sing (1935), a geometric hanbok-clad figure. Returning to Korea in 1937, he pioneered abstraction amidst colonial rule. His 1951 painting An Evacuation Train used bright hues to depict war refugees, blending urgency with abstraction. In Paris (1956–1959), Kim deepened his Korean identity, painting motifs like moon jars. Settling in New York in 1963, he created iconic dot paintings, like 05-IV-71 #200 (Universe), evoking cosmic expanses. He died in 1974, leaving a profound legacy.

Artistic Characteristics: A Poetic Cosmos

Kim’s early semi-abstract works featured recognizable forms in vibrant, geometric shapes. By the 1950s, his style grew more abstract, with Korean motifs distilled into lines and planes. In Paris, he embraced Eastern philosophy, creating lyrical, monochrome compositions. His New York dot paintings, like Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again (1970), used translucent oil to craft radiant fields of blue dots, merging repetition into cosmic harmony. His love for Korean antiques, especially moon jars, informed his nature-inspired aesthetic, akin to Mark Rothko’s contemplative fields but lighter and distinctly Korean

Anecdotes: A Life in Art

Kim’s defiance defined him: he snuck to Japan to study art, later mingling with Seoul’s bohemian intellectuals. During the Korean War, he and his wife, writer Kim Hyang-An, fled to a refugee camp, yet he painted on. In New York, his friendship with collector Dr. Matthew Kim led to the sale of Universe, later auctioned for $13 million. Kim’s journals reveal his poetic vision, equating “round sky, round jar” as artistic unity.

Contemporary Evaluation and Legacy

Kim’s work commands millions, with Universe fetching $13 million in 2019. As the “godfather of Dansaekhwa,” his dot paintings embody Korean “han” (sorrowful resilience). The Whanki Museum and retrospectives like the 2023 Hoam exhibition cement his status. His art bridges East and West, inviting universal contemplation.

A Kinship with Rothko

Kim’s expansive, meditative abstractions recall Mark Rothko’s color fields. Both evoke spiritual depth, but Kim’s lighter palette and Korean motifs—like dots evoking stars—contrast Rothko’s somber universality, grounding his work in Korea’s lyrical landscapes.

team webdaily (2webdaily@gmail.com)

Copyright © 2020 : webdaily(웹데일리). All rights reserved.