Hyunjung Kim

Installation View of ‘The Visage of Water’ at GALLERY PALZO

Kim Hyunjeong’s ‘The Visage of Water’ aims to explore the complexity of life and the intricate relationship between nature and humanity. The act of reflecting upon something through the attributes of water holds a healing significance for the artist. The layered relief forms and abstract depth of colors in the artwork convey profound meaning, while the decalcomania technique reflects the artist’s ideals and emotions.
Experience the shimmering light upon water in the artworks through the exhibition, and hope that it offers a moment of respite.

Installation View of ‘The Visage of Water’ at GALLERY PALZO

Artist Statement

The artwork begins with an exploration of water. The act of reflecting upon something through the projectional properties of water holds a healing significance for the artist. Through the device of water, the artwork reveals images that reflect the subconscious, presenting a depiction of the idealized form thatis felt in life and reality. Expressed through decalcomania, the artwork conveys ideals and inner thoughts, as if the tangible and the ideal are intertwined.

Curved landscape(blue), 2023, Oil on canvas_130.3×130.3cm

The reflections that appear on the water in the artwork become a medium that constantly reflects the artist’s personal world and the world of ideals. Drawing inspiration from the sculptural technique of bas-relief to portray the preserved state of nature, the artist presents an abstract technique where the forming surface and the background surface have a dual structure. The layers of color that accumulate and manifest as a painting in bas-relief bring forth the abstract depth of the artwork. These surfaces remain as visual remnants, lingering in a distant form.

Decalcomanie 2024 oil on canvas 150x150cm

Just like the Greek myth of Narcissus, who turned into a narcissus flower while endlessly gazing at his own reflection in the water, the water depicted in the work becomes a forest of illusions. The desire for symmetry and the hunger to fill it may symbolize the constant pursuit and obsession of modern individuals in wanting to objectify and replicate something equally. The Idea floats above the water, reflecting on the surface of the canvas.

The Visage of Water, 2024, Oil on canvas, 130.3×97.0cm

The paintings intentionally reflect the complexities of life and the intricate relationship between nature and human beings in the form of backgrounds and forms deliberately reflected beyond the horizon. Paradoxically, water expressions flow within the artwork as a serene form that is as quiet as the contemplation itself. If one quietly observes the water, they can feel the tranquility that soothes the restless mind, often referred to as “water meditation.” I hope you can enjoy the gentle radiance of the mind above the water in the artwork and take a moment to rest.

– Hyunjung Kim, 2024

GALLERY PALZO
2F, 145-3, Yonghak-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu, 42216 Republic of Korea
+82-53-781-6802

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