Kim Duck-Yong's Most Beautiful Days
Soluna Fine Art
5 days left
Kim Duck-Yong’s latest series, The Most Beautiful Day, features a captivating collection of artworks featuring marbled-looking circular objects composed of mother-of-pearl, set against a wooden backdrop. The glistening circular shapes are reminiscent of childhood favorites such as soap bubbles and marbles, evoke in viewers a nostalgia for childhood, the most blissful time of our lives.
“The aesthetics of Korea is characterized by simplicity, restraint, fermentation, sublimity, and nostalgia... and all of these exist in a harmonious aesthetic akin to Bibimbap, where everything coexists naturally.”
In this series, Kim aims to convey the concept of life’s eternal nature. Although our childhood days were long gone, those wonderful times did not vanish, but continue to exist in our memories. The traces of our existence may transcend the limits of time and space, continue to exist even after our lives come to an end and pass on in the cycle of life. While the circular shapes on the artworks represent our cherished childhood memories, the wood canvas becomes a realm where our memories and life experiences are preserved regardless of the passage of time.
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
Drawing inspiration from traditional Oriental paintings, Kim employs refurbished wood sourced from remnants of trees used for firewood, eliciting a feeling of warmth and comfort. He also utilizes mother-of-pearl to create a shimmering effect. His use of natural materials not only portrays nature’s beauty, but also interprets the universe's infinite vitality and the circle of life.
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
The beautiful things in life are always transient and easily perish. To most of us, our childhood memories have already faded as time passes. But just as Kim captures the fleeting moments of childhood in his works, no matter how vague the memories have become, they will always hold a special place in our heart. Through The Most Beautiful Day series, viewers can once again dive into the most vibrant and treasured times of our lives.
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
Artist Biography
Kim Duck-Yong (b. 1961) was born in Gwangju, Korea, and received his B.F.A. and M.F.A. from the Department of Painting at Seoul National University in Korea. By highlighting the importance of traditional materials that echo with his heritage, Kim explores the contemporary mechanics of Korean society. With works in institutional collections such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Kim is one of the most established artists in the Korean art scene.
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
