코리아타임스에 실린 김수자 전시회 '동심원' 기사 (2023년 9월 16일)

오늘 아침 코리아타임스 (The Korea Times)

인터넷판에 실린 김수자 전시회 '동심원' 기사를

보고 깜짝 놀랐습니다. 기사가 너무나 좋았기

때문입니다.

 

코리아타임스 문화부 권미유 기자님께 감사하며 

기사를 옮겨둡니다. 기사를 복사하여 붙여넣기를 

시도했으나 그림 사진은 복사가 되지 않아 안타깝습니다.

아래 링크를 클릭하면 코리아타임스 기사로 연결되어

그림과 작가의 사진을 볼 수 있습니다.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/09/690_359247.html#

 

 

 

Entertainment & Arts      Sat, September 16, 2023

 

 

Kim Soo-ja's 'Concentric Circles' offers quiet response to noisy world

 

Posted: 2023-09-15 08:30

Updated: 2023-09-16 19:28

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Kwon Mee-yoo

In an era where the hustle and bustle caused by social network services

fills our days, Kim Soo-ja, an illustrator whose career dates back 40 years,

invites visitors to pause and reflect on at her latest exhibition "Concentric Circles."

The exhibit, running through Sept. 20 at Gallery Dam in central Seoul,

presents 26 artworks Kim created with her simple yet profound medium of

choice ― colored pencils ― to share her personal journey through illness and recovery.

Commonly seen as the first step for children into the world of art, colored pencils

actually have a history that go back to ancient Greece. Kim finds a connection

between the simplicity of colored pencils and her own approach to art and uses

these ancient drawing tools to erase the "stains" left by the fast-paced digital era.

Kim's works, mostly on circular canvas, are results of countless hand movements,

painstakingly crafted to give a glimpse of the "essence of life beyond the tangible

world." Her artistic presence serves as a counterpoint to the noise and shallowness

of the digital era.


This exhibition holds a special place in Kim's life, as it comes after her battle with

cancer. The pain and suffering she endured have enriched her art, breathing a

sense of peace and healing into her works.

Kim noted how the COVID-19 pandemic, along with her illness, forced her to

reevaluate her life. Drawing inspiration from French writer Laurence Devillairs

and Mexican poet Octavio Paz, she emphasized the importance of listening to

one's inner voice and focusing on the present.

"Now is the time to pay all our attention to the voices from within, distancing

ourselves from the noise of the high-tech era based on materials and speed,"

Kim said in a statement.

The artist hopes her paintings offer viewers the same sense of comfort and consolation.

"Like a tiny seed that gives out sprouts, like the water that runs without interruption,

like the wind that is never blocked, like a stone that rolls freely hither and thither,

like the music that brushes against my ear, like the echo that flies across the

boundaries, my thoughts go farther and farther like ever-expanding concentric

circles," she said.

"During the whole time I was working on my paintings, I could remain unperturbed

and experience peace of the faraway horizon. I hope my paintings will offer

consolation to the viewers as they did to me."

Installation view of Kim Soo-ja's exhibition "Concentric Circles" at Gallery Dam / Courtesy of the artist

Kim's artistic journey has evolved over the years, reflecting her changing

perspectives  on civilization and humanity. Her 1995 "TV-People" exhibition

questioned the relationship  between civilization and humanity.

Since the early 2000s, she has focused on translating poetry into paintings

and her previous exhibitions, such as "Illustration Essay-Blue," "Road to

Insa-dong," "Drawing Poetry," "My Beautiful Garden" and "Walk around

Seoul," have explored various facets of beauty and life.