KIM HYUNSIK

THE FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION IN TURKEY OF RENOWNED KOREAN CONTEMPORARY ARTIST KIM HYUNSIK AT SEVIL DOLMACI ISTANBUL 

“INTENDED BLANK” 

NOVEMBER 13 – DECEMBER 13, 2024, Villa Ipranosyan, Beşiktaş-Istanbul

Sevil Dolmacı Istanbul is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in Turkey of renowned Korean contemporary artist Kim Hyunsik. Titled “Intended Blank,” the exhibition will take place from November 13 to December 13, 2024, and will feature pieces produced specifically for the exhibition in various media and sizes as well as a selection of works created between 2020 and 2023. This curated selection of 60 works serves to introduce Kim Hyunsik’s art to Turkish art enthusiasts

Kim Hyunsik works in the realm between sculpture and painting. His works, while resembling minimalist paintings, are also flat sculptures in terms of their weight and thickness. Hyunsik employs Bernard Waldenfels’ concept of “the transformative power of repetition,” repeatedly pouring epoxy resin onto a rectangular panel, heating it to harden, carving fine lines into the surface, filling these lines with acrylic, and applying another layer of epoxy resin.

In “Intended Blank,” Kim Hyunsik inscribes emptiness into the material (epoxy), offering a new perspective on the perception of painting. His works draw viewers’ eyes to the surface through the use of epoxy resin, inviting them to look deeper, to explore the layers of the unseen that lie beyond the visible, and to discover the gaps between these layers. Emptiness, nothingness, and void are central to East Asian thought and core to East Asian aesthetics. In Western thought, “to exist” is to possess, while nothingness is the absence of possession. However, in East Asian thought, emptiness, void, and nothingness are not mere non-existence. Instead, they form the source of existence and are the space where life exists. Throughout East Asian art history, this philosophy has been reflected in painting, with the visual expression of it being known as ‘white space’ or ‘intended blank.’ Just as open spaces in cities allow for new construction, empty spaces within the human body allow blood to flow and air to circulate, which sustains life. Emptiness, therefore, is the source of life. Similarly, white space or intended blank is the life force and essence of a painting. Hyunsik’s paintings manifest this artistic view, and the silent emptiness he portrays is not just nothingness, but a symbol of infinity and divinity.

About Kim Hyunsik:

Kim Hyunsik was born in Sancheong, South Korea, in 1965. He holds a bachelor’s degree in painting from Hongik University’s Faculty of Fine Arts in Seoul. Hyunsik has adopted the monochrome painting technique foundational to early Korean contemporary art, aiming to extend the trajectory of contemporary art history by creating new meanings and forms of painting. His work is deeply influenced by the silent paintings of Korean artist Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007), the extraordinary aesthetics developed by Abstract Expressionist masters Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Agnes Martin (1912-2004), and the white space of the Chinese master Ni Zan (1301-1374).

Hyunsik’s work is represented by Hakgojae Gallery, one of Korea’s most established galleries, which has led the Korean art market since opening its doors in Seoul in 1988, bridging the past and future. His works offer a modern interpretation of traditional Korean and East Asian painting, featuring vibrant monochrome color fields, hyper-realistic images of the backs of female heads, and ‘trompe l’oeil’ (deceptive) waterfall landscapes.

In addition to Korea, Hyunsik has held solo exhibitions in Germany, Belgium, China, France, and the United Kingdom and has participated in numerous group exhibitions. His works have been featured in international art fairs, including those at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul, Korea (2014), Busan Biennale, Busan, Korea (2012), Galerie Orem, Paris, France (2010), and Galerie von Braunbehrens, Munich, Germany (2009). He received the ‘Korea Tomorrow’ award in 2014.

Kim Hyunsik lives and works in Ulsan, South Korea.