Heesoo Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1984. After studying advertising and design at Konkuk University, he worked as a photographer and video maker before becoming a painter at the age of 30. He is known for creating portraits of pensive, melancholic characters, who seem to be deeply absorbed in their own private thoughts, against sombrely-coloured backgrounds. These works transmit at once a slight feeling of affliction and a firm sense of dignity, enhanced through his unique use of chiaroscuro.
Explorations of inner dimension set the tone for Kim’s work, reflecting on the human experience of existing and progression of life, which concerns some of the most intimate moments in one’s life. Through these honest and candid visual narrations, the Korean painter invites viewers to relate their individual histories to that of the subjects on canvas, infusing an idea of universality and collective significance into his work.
The artist talks about his creative concept behind the painting series Normal Life
Video courtesy of Unit London
Having shown work internationally, Kim recently held the solo shows Heesoo Kim: Normal Life(9 August – 10 September 2022), and Platform(12 – 25 April 2021) at Unit London, Normal Life: Be Normal/Peopleat Afternoon Gallery, Seoul (1 September – 28 November 2021), and The Other Side of My Mindat Everyday Mooonday in Seoul (13 November 2020 – 10 January 2021).
Provenance
Gallery Afternoon, Seoul Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Seoul, Gallery Afternoon, Normal Life: Be Normal, 1 September - 17 October 2021
acrylic on recycled panel work 168.5 x 137 cm. (66 3/8 x 53 7/8 in.) frame 176.5 x 145 cm. (69 1/2 x 57 1/8 in.) Painted circa 2021, this work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Gallery Afternoon.