Chonghak Kim (b.1937)

Gallery Yeh is holding a private exhibition of Chonghak Kim, the forerunner of contemporary Korean art. Focusing on depicting the landscapes of Sul-Ak Mountain, Chonghak Kim offers us in this exhibition the mountain’s scenery in all four seasons of a year.  His paintings can be characterized as “abstract-conception.” The portrayals of grass, rocks and trees are recognizable in their forms, but the absence of details on the other side strongly implies the abstract nature of his works. Although his paintings are stylistically western, the nonexistence of perspective resembles folk arts. Chonghak Kim has been painting the Sul-Ak Mountain for over 20 years, depicting landscape, bugs, waterfalls, and flowers with primal and vivid colors. He is called the “the painter of Sul-Ak” because he paints the mountain as he sees it, not as how everyone sees it. In other words, he paints the subject in his impression and perception, expressing his inner-self though the paintings. As exemplified in his notion of a painter as one who paints to free himself, Chonghak Kim presents vibrant, liberating, and dynamic art pieces. His love of nature can also be found in his personal collection of traditional wooden furniture. Through this exhibition of Jong Hak Kim’s Sul-Ak, we hope the viewers to appreciate composure that nature gives and enjoy the vivacious colors with energetic brushstrokes.

1937       Born in Shinuijoo,  North Korea

1962       Graduated from the Kyeonggi High School, Seoul, Korea

1966     Graduated from the College of Fine arts of Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

1968       Print making classes, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan

1977       Print making classes, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York

Award
1967       The 5th International Print Biennale, Up and Coming Artist Prize

2001       The 2nd Lee In Sung Art Prize Winner

Solo Exhibitions 

2008       Gallery YEH, Seoul
2007       Johyun Gallery, Busan

2006       Gana Art Center, Seoul

-              Galerie Gana, Paris

2004       Gallery Hyundai, Seoul

2003       Gallery YEH, Seoul

2002       Exhibition for Lee In Sung Art Prize Winner, Culture & Arts Center, Daegu

2001       Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul

1999       Johyun Gallery, Busan

1998       Gallery Hyundai, Seoul

1994       Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul

-              Samsung Finance Plaza, Seoul

-              Sanpoong Gallery, Seoul

1992       Gallery YEH, Seoul

-              Johyun Gallery(Gallery World), Busan

-              Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul

1990       Sun Gallery, Seoul

1988       Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul

1987       Seoul Museum, Seoul

-              Sun Gallery, Seoul

1985       Won Gallery, Seoul

1977       Gallery Hyundai, Seoul

1976       L.A M.SHINNO Gallery, L.A

1974       Muramazu Gallery, Tokyo

               M. Shinno Gallery, Los Angeles

1970       Muramazu Gallery, Tokyo

1964       Press Center, Seoul

Group Exhibitions
2005       ‘Flowers and Birds’, Gana Art Center, Seoul

2004       ‘Flowers-Kim Chong Hak, Oh!-Choi Jeong Hwa’, Garam Gallery, Seoul

2003       The Celebrating Exhibition of the 25th Anniversary of

                Gallery YEH, Gallery YEH, Seoul

2002       ‘Kim Chong Hak, Itami Jun’ Hukuoka, Japan

1999       ‘Three Artists-Kwak Hoon Kim woong Kim Chong-Hak’, Gallery YEH, Seoul

-               FIAC, Paris, France

1993        NICAF, Yokohama, Japan

-               ‘Vision in Between’, Traveling Exhibition, New York, Tokyo

1990        ‘Kim Chong Hak, Oh Sufan, Shim Moon Sup, Lee Young Hak’, Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul

1989        Exhibition Organized by the City of Seoul

1988        ‘Korean Contemporary Art’, Olympic Park, Seoul

1986        ‘Kim woong & Kim Chong-Hak’, Gallery YEH, Seoul

1984        National Museum of Contemporary Art

1982        Print Biennale, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia

1981        ‘Korean Art for 81 years’, Seoul

-               ‘Artists Today’, Seoul

-               ‘Print Making’, Korean Culture and Arts Foundation, Seoul

-               ‘The 30th National Salon’, Guest of Honor, Seoul

1980        Exhibition of the Association of Korean Print Makers, Seoul

1979        New York Art Expo, New York

1978        East Coast Korean Artists, New York

1977       ‘Important Korean Artists’, Chinese Historical Museum, Taipei, Taiwan

-               The 26th National Art Contest, Guest of Honor, Seoul

1976        The 25th National Art Contest, Guest of Honor, Seoul

-               Print Show, Los Angeles

1975        The 24th National Art Contest, Guest of Honor, Seoul

-               The 13th Sao Paulo Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil

1973       ‘Contemporary Art’ 73, Myongdong Gallery, Seoul

-               The 12th Sao Paulo Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil

-               Thirteen Artists from Seoul, Signum Gallery, Tokyo

1972       The 2nd Print Biennale, Organized by the newspaper Donga, Seoul

1970-72 Contemporary Korean Art, India, Afghanistan, Nepal

1970       An Open Air Exhibition of Japanese Contemporary Artists, Godomokumi Garden Japan

1969       Work commissioned by the government to commemorate the 16th of May

1968      ‘Korean Modern Art’, Tokyo Modern Art Museum, Tokyo

1967      The 9th Tokyo Biennale, Tokyo

1965     ‘Ten Important Artists in Korean Contemporary Art’, an exhibition

               Organized by the newspaper Joongang, Seoul

1964      Four Young Korean Artists, Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris

-              The 5th Paris Biennale, Paris

1963      Exhibition for the association Cultural Liberty in the World, Seoul

1962     ‘Actuel’, Museum of Kyungbok Palace, Seoul

1960     ‘60’s Artists Association’, Deoksu Palace Wall, Seoul

Publications 

National Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwachun, Korea

Sohguipo Museum Paradise Hotel, Cheju Island, Korea

Art Sonje Center, Kyungju, Korea

Ho-Am Museum, Seoul

Paradise Hotel, Cheju Island, Korea

Chungang Hospital, Seoul

Intercontinentnal Hotel, Seoul

Swiss Grand Hotel, Seoul

Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy Research Center, Posco Building, Seoul

LG Building, Seoul

National Assembly Building, Seoul