JangHyuk Kim:
Infinite Life
JangHyuk Kim: Infinite Life
February 15 – 27, 2021
Galerie Pici Seoul, Seoul, Korea
Artist Janghyuk Kim, who painted with oils for most of his early painting career, soon realized the constraints it posed on completing his works in a timely manner. He wanted to stay within the painting technique of pointillism, but due to the substantial amount of time each dot needed to dry, he made the switch in 2006 to water-soluble acrylic paints that allowed him to create dots with ease. He uses dot after dot to explore shapes and colors as a means of identifying auras. “As it turns out, a small point in the work is a fundamental beginning and an end,” explains Kim. He tries to find the balance between East and West in order to look to the past, without giving up progress toward the future. His beautifully designed choices in colors create detailed depictions of famous actresses, iconic religious symbols, and the occasional unidentified figure.
“As it turns out, a small point in the work is a fundamental beginning and an end.”
- JangHyuk Kim
Artist JangHyuk Kim’s pointillism practice utilizes meticulously placed dots to create his images. His recurring use of the actress Audrey Hepburn bridges Western society with the Eastern symbol of the Buddha’s classic hand position. His constant play on opposites, in order to establish harmony, is evident through his repurposing of iconic images.
Image: Infinite – Forest of Thought, 2020. Mixed media on canvas. 45.98 x 28.62 in / 93 x 48 cm © JangHyuk Kim, courtesy the artist
JangHyuk Kim
Infinite – Forest of Thought, 2020
Mixed media on canvas
45.98 x 28.62 in / 116.8 x 72.7 cm
USD $12,500
A significant gesture used throughout several works, Kim inserts the Buddha’s hand, gently resting on the character’s face. His search for harmony continues with this motif, a symbol representing tranquility, peace, and a meditative state of mind.
"I look forward to seeing the benefits of appreciating paintings as well as the hopes and frustrations of the characters in the paintings. After all, the comfort is in the people." - JangHyuk Kim
Image: Infinite – Monalisa, 2019. Mixed media on canvas. 19.68 x 19.68 in / 50 x 50 cm © JangHyuk Kim
JangHyuk Kim
Infinite – Monalisa, 2019
Mixed media on canvas
19.68 x 19.68 in / 50 x 50 cm
USD $5,000
Kim’s pointillism style uses the language of dots through acrylic painting rather than the use of oils. This laborious process articulates his desire for harmony, representing people by way of colors. His rounded dots and detailed images seek a balance between human and nature.
Kim’s vibrant oranges and reds exude heat and intensity, often found in the center of his works, enclosing the subject. He uses blues to quiet the madness and cool down the strong energy at its core. His use of circles for canvas shapes ties into his ongoing theme of infinity, a symbol of the circle of life.
His use of circles for canvas shapes ties into his ongoing theme of infinity, a symbol of the circle of life. His choice in dots, significant to his pointillism practice, are also circular in their shape, amplifying the power of infinity with circles within a circle.
Infinite succession of energized dots
Referencing Michelangelo Buonarroti’s sculpture Pietà of 1498-99, Kim’s interpretation of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus Christ on her lap represents for Kim, a boundless search for compassionate communication through his paintings. Understanding the public and the desires of the viewer is a large part of Kim’s practice. He takes on colors he associates with his subjects and uses them to emphasize the energy field that surrounds their history along with their current existence.
Image: Infinite, 2019. Mixed media on canvas. Diameter 47.24 in / Diameter 120 cm © JangHyuk Kim
JangHyuk Kim
Infinite, 2020
Mixed media on canvas
Diameter 47.24 in / 120 cm
USD $20,000
Pushing the boundaries through color and shape
Image: Infinite-Audrey Hepburn, 2020. Mixed Media on Canvas. Diameter 31.49 in / 80cm © JangHyuk Kim
JangHyuk Kim
Infinite – Audrey Hepburn, 2020
Mixed media on canvas
Diameter 31.29 in / 80 cm
My work is reminiscent of coordinated pixel alignment in the form of a circle flowing out of an elaborate needle.
– Artist Note, Janghyuk Kim, 2020.
Radiating a bright orange and red energy, Kim’s interpretation of Audrey Hepburn stares the viewer straight in the eye. Her aura brings light to her personality with the circular composition symbolizing infinity, a nod to the artist’s exploration of Zen Buddhism.