Sevil Dolmacı Istanbul is hosting the first solo exhibition in Turkey by Korean contemporary artist Kim Hyunsik, titled Intended Blank. The selection of 60 works specially prepared by the artist this year will be available for viewing until December 13th.
The Transformative Power of Repetition
Kim Hyunsik’s works occupy a space between sculpture and painting. His pieces can be perceived as minimalist paintings, yet they also possess the qualities of flat sculptures with their thick and heavy surfaces. Drawing inspiration from Bernard Waldenfels’ concept of “the transformative power of repetition,” the artist uses epoxy resin. He begins this process by pouring the epoxy onto a rectangular panel, then scratches the surface to create lines, fills the lines with acrylic paint, and adds another layer of epoxy. This repetitive process forms the layered structure of the artwork.
An Invitation to Infinity
In the Intended Blank exhibition, Hyunsik adds a new interpretation to the painting by making the void visible on a concrete surface. His works invite the viewer to focus on the surface and explore the voids hidden deep within. In East Asian aesthetics, emptiness and nothingness do not merely mean absence; these concepts represent the source of being and living space. While in Western thought, being is defined by having something, East Asian philosophy considers emptiness and nothingness as the essence of life. With this perspective, the white spaces or “intentional voids” in Hyunsik’s works are a tangible expression of the artist’s philosophy. Just as empty spaces in cities create opportunities for new structures, the voids within the human body allow life to continue. Hyunsik’s paintings reflect these voids not merely as nothingness, but as symbols of infinity and spiritual existence, inviting the viewer into deep contemplation.
The Contemporary Interpreter of Monochrome Painting
Kim Hyunsik was born in 1965 in Sancheong, South Korea. He completed his undergraduate education in painting at the College of Fine Arts, Hongik University, in Seoul. Throughout his artistic career, Hyunsik has adopted the technique of monochrome painting, a cornerstone of early contemporary Korean art, aiming to give new meanings and forms to painting while contributing to the development of contemporary art. The artist has been greatly inspired by the serene and silent works of Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007), the profound aesthetic understanding of Abstract Expressionist masters Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Agnes Martin (1912-2004), as well as the use of white space in the technique of Chinese master Ni Zan (1301-1374).