1930년대 김환기 동경시대의 흔적을 찾아서

THE TRACES OF KIM WHANKI’S TOKYO PERIOD IN THE 1930S

Avant-garde painting did not emerge only because of the limits of contemporary art;

experimental painting had already appeared in each period,

and therefore the art of painting has developed to the present day and will move forward into tomorrow.

 

Kim Whanki, 1939, A Brief Discussion on Abstraction

Kim Whanki began his formal engagement with art in 1933, when he entered the Department of Arts at Nihon University. He subsequently participated in various groups, including the Hakujitsu Fine Art Association, the Nika Association, the Hyakumankai, and the Free Artists Association, through which he gradually established a direction toward avant-garde abstract painting. His activities during his Tokyo period might later have been connected with the ‘New Realism Group (Sinsasilpa)’ in Korea during the 1940s, providing an important clue for studying the beginnings of Korean abstract art. However, research on this period has remained insufficient. The 1930s were a time when photographic documentation was scarce, and much material was lost due to war and social upheaval. To this day, the records left by Kim HyangAn, together with a limited number of archival sources and oral testimonies from contemporary artists, have constituted the primary foundation for research on Kim Whanki’s Tokyo period.”

The Whanki Museum launched a three-year project in 2024 with the support of ARKO Partners: Visual Arts, Arts Council Korea. The project aims to expand and deepen research on Kim Whanki’s Tokyo period through both a symposium and exhibitions. In its first year, the museum collected primary materials through multiple research trips to Japan, verified existing records, and supplemented the chronology of Kim Whanki’s Tokyo period. In addition, the process of tracing his studies, daily life, and artistic activities was documented on film for future exhibitions. These materials are scheduled to be presented at the Korea–Japan Symposium on 18 October 2025 and in an exhibition planned for 2026.

This exhibition continues the research on Kim Whanki’s Tokyo period, carrying forward the task that Kim HyangAn left unfinished, while also opening a new chapter in exploring the beginnings of Korean abstract art through his abstract practice.

Ⓒ WHANKI MUSEUM Curatorial Department 2025

Ⓒ Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum