Past

‘Gumgil’ 

Tale of JEJU by Nampyo, Kim 

November 11 - December 18, 2020

Artist Nam-pyo Kim (50), who has been consistently coming up with the “Instant Landscape” series, is presenting a new Jeju Project. This inviting exhibition is titled “Nam-pyo Kim’s Jeju Story – Gumgil”. “Gumgil” is Jeju’s dialect for vine of weed commonly found on the roadside or in the bushes of the island. The exhibition is held under the joint auspices of AIF and HORI Art Space, both located in Cheongdam-dong of Seoul.

The “Nam-pyo Kim’s Jeju Story – Gumgil” is a special project that took over 30 months’ preparation. While seeking to expand the genre of his artworks as Kim had been travelling back and forth Jeju Island since 2018, in 2019 he decided to get a studio and stay in Jeju for a year to visit various sites and transfer the impressions he’d received onto canvas. From the huge quarry where the rough roar never left all day long, to bushes (“Gumgil”) with scourge of mosquitoes, Nam-pyo Kim carried with him a custom-made gigantic easel which he even took into the sea when he was at the phase of being mesmerized by the glow of the setting sun and the dawn.

In the exhibition, over 30 oil-paint works (including 3 pastel paintings) will be displayed. HORI Art Space on the 3rd floor exhibits 20 pieces of various sizes ranging from 53×41cm to 227×162cm. Gumgil forms the background of Jeju’s landscapes, unlike Kim’s previous works which had his imaginations for the background. But still, Kim’s symbolic animals such as tiger, leopard or zebra make the appearance in this series.

At AIf Lounge on the 4th floor, there are 8 works displayed, which are actually made up of 210 smaller pieces in total. In the “Art Meditation Studio” of AIF, three artworks that contain the painting of Gumgil, sunset, deer, etc. are displayed, ideal for “Scoping into the inner self through meditation” program. In the Lounge hall, the three gigantic “Cell Series” that are highlights of this exhibition greet the audience. This Series deserve to be considered the masterpieces of “Nam-pyo Kim’s Story of Jeju - Gumgil”. 

Not only are their sizes quite impressive, but also the production process, finishing technique, and the installation process of the works are distinguishable from other artworks; and particularly their ability to be modified upon the free will of the audience makes them more intriguing.

Nam-pyo Kim said, “From the perspective of a creator, an artist’s paintings that often seem unplanned and deviated from the expected path are accepted. I hope that aspect communicates to the viewers. Wouldn’t it be possible for a viewer to move the pieces of my work in his/her imagination? This is also a way to share the joy of the process of creating an artwork. My hope is that once the viewer actually begins to imagine moving some pieces, the artist and the viewer can share more intimacy.”

* Directed by Yoon-sub Kim (CEO of AIf Art Management) 

* Hosted by Nari Kim (CEO of HORI Art Space)