▲ The portrait of the artist ⓒ Gallery Hyundai

Gallery Hyundai presents 'Beyond Iridescence', a solo exhibition commemorating the 3rd anniversary of Kim Tschang-Yeul's passing, from April 24 through June 9, 2024.

The exhibition is Kim's fifteenth solo exhibition with the gallery, 'Beyond Iridescence' reflects on the ingenuity of the artist's formal intuition, borrowing from his longstanding examination into the essence of visual art by way of his iconic 'water droplets'.

▲ Water Drops, 2012, oil on canvas, 162 x 112 cm ⓒ Kim Tschang-yeul, Gallery Hyundai

The exhibition displays about thirty important works in remembrance of Kim’s groundbreaking artistic trajectory, ranging from his earliest water-drop paintings on linen from the early 1970s to those from his later years in the 2010s.

In 1972, the artist selected the water droplet as the motif and devoted his artistic career to exploring the interplay between the illusion of the water drops and the reality of the surface plane on which they were depicted.

▲ Recurrence DRA 97009, 1997, ink and oil on canvas, 162.5 x 130 cm ⓒ Kim Tschang-yeul, Gallery Hyundai

Beyond Radiance closely navigates the artist’s confrontation against this idea of illusion, framed by his rigorous discipline informed by the repetitive depiction of water droplets.

Using various objects for creation such as linen, sand, newspaper, leaves, and paper or fabric containing Chinese characters, The artist blurred the boundaries between reality and illusion by placing the illusory yet meticulously depicted water droplets on these tangible surfaces. 

▲ Recurrence SH 2013001, 2011, acrylic and oil on canvas, 197 x 290.9 cm ⓒ Kim Tschang-yeul, Gallery Hyundai

The exhibition traces the half-century history of Kim’s challenges and endeavors in defining his signature artistic vocabulary of the iconic water droplet, illustrating the trajectory of one of the leading figures in Korean contemporary art.

▲ The installation view of the exhibition ⓒ Gallery Hyundai

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com