KIM Whanki
1913-1974
KIM Whanki, also known as Su-Wha(樹話), was a pioneer of the Korean avant-garde and abstract art scene by virtue of his natural-born talent, temperament and spirit of challenge. He created a moving, meditative world of art whose formative beauty was achieved through the use of deep, abundant colors with lyrical sensibility. As a result, his works not only revealed Korean sentiments, but were appreciated by people around the world.
In the 1930s, KIM Whanki became absorbed in abstract art, the vanguard art form of the time. Meanwhile, he also engaged in passionate experimentation as he searched for the roots of creativity, and studied diverse methods of expression, which gave him a leading role in Korean Modernism. During the prime years of his life, including his Paris Period from 1956 to 1959, Whanki created a unique world of “formative poetry,” expressing subject matter that represented naturalism, was inspired by Eastern philosophy, and used restrained formative language such as “sky and sea, mountains and trees, and the round moon and white porcelain jars.” Following his participation in the 7th São Paulo Biennale in 1963, the artist moved to New York City, then a fierce scene of artists from around the world who shared the passions and pains of creation. There he once again built a unique world of art, based on self-reflection and “recognizing the essence” of art. From the time he settled in New York, up to his death and 1974, Whanki was constantly experimenting with diverse materials and making countless formative changes, until finally he achieved a complete abstract space—the world of “All-over Dot Painting.”
During his life, artist KIM Whanki presented a poetic space of meditation, and a world of sublime abstraction—a world that was universal, yet intimate and lyrical—through his use of the elements of dots, lines, and planes. When he passed away at the age of 61, on July 25, 1974, perhaps he returned to one of the countless dots that filled his picture-planes, and became one of the stars in heaven.
| 1913 | Born in Korea |
| 1933 | Admitted to the Fine Arts Department of Nihon University, Tokyo |
| 1934 | Joined the Avant-Garde Western Art Institute (アヴァンギャルド洋画研究所) in Tokyo, under guidance of FUJITA Tsuguharu (藤田嗣治) and TOGO Seiji (東鄕靑兒) |
| 1934~41 | Participated in Hakujitsu Fine Art Association (白日会), Kofukai Art Association (光風会), Jiyu Bijutsuka Kyokai (自由美術家協会), Shinjidaiyogaten (新時代洋畵展), and Ninth Section Group (九室會) in Tokyo |
| 1935 | Awarded at the 22nd 《Nika Association (二科会)》 Tokyo, with <When the Skylarks Sing> |
| 1936 | Formed Baikmanhoe (白蠻會) with GIL Jin-seop, TAKENA Tashikami (鶴見武長), YUIKO Kanno (管能由爲), MIEKO Funakoshi (船越三技子) |
| 1937 | Held the 1st Solo Exhibition at Amagi Gallery, Tokyo Returned to Seoul |
| 1941 | Held the 2nd Solo Exhibition, Jeongjaok Gallery, Seoul |
| 1946~50 | Served as professor in the Department of Western Painting at Seoul National University, Seoul |
| 1947 | Formed Sinsasilpa (New Realism Group) with Artist YOO Youngkuk and LEE Kyusang |
| 1948~53 | Held 《Sinsasilpa Exhibition》 with YOO Youngkuk, LEE Kyusang, CHANG Ucchin, LEE Jungseob, PARK Youngsoo at Hwashin Gallery, Seoul |
| 1949 | Participated the 1st 《National Art Exhibition》, as artist and judge in the Western painting section |
| 1952 | Held the 3rd Solo Exhibition, New Seoul Tea Room, Busan |
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1952~55 |
Served as professor and dean in the Department of Western Painting at Hongik University, Seoul |
| 1954 | Held the 4th Solo Exhibition, USIS Gallery, Seoul |
| 1954~74 | Served as member of National Academy of Arts of Republic of Korea |
| 1956 | Held the 5th Solo Exhibition, Donghwa Gallery, Seoul Moved to Paris |
| Held the 6th Solo Exhibition at M.Bénezit Gallery, Paris | |
| Held the 7th Solo Exhibition at M.Bénezit Gallery, Paris | |
| 1957 | Held the 8th Solo Exhibition at M.Bénezit Gallery, Paris |
| Held the 9th Solo Exhibition at Muratore Gallery, Nice | |
| Held the 10th Solo Exhibition at Cheval de Verre Gallery, Brussels | |
| 1958 | Held the 11th Solo Exhibition at Institut Gallery, Paris |
| 1959 | Returned to Seoul |
| Held the 12th Solo Exhibition 《KIM WHANKI Art Exhibition》, including <Mountain and Moon>, <Deer of the Moonlight Night>, and <Song of Eternity>, Korean Information Center, Seoul | |
| Held the 13th Solo Exhibition, Bando Gallery, Seoul | |
| 1960 | Served as president of The National Committee of Association for International Plastic Arts of UNESCO in Seoul |
| 1961 | Held the 14th Solo Exhibition, Korean Information Center, Seoul |
| 1962 | Held the 15th Solo Exhibition, Korean Information Center, Seoul |
| 1963 | Served as chairman of Korean Fine Arts Association |
| Held the 16th Solo Exhibition, Korean Information Center, Seoul | |
| Participated in the 7th São Paulo Biennale as Korean representative and awarded the honorary prize in the category of painting, submitting 3 works including <Moonlight in Summer Night>, <Moonlight Night of Island>, <Cloud and Moon>, São Paulo | |
| Moved to New York | |
| 1964 | Received fellowship from the J.D.Rockefeller III Foundation, New York |
| Held the 17th Solo Exhibition, Asia House Gallery, New York | |
| 1965 | Invited to the Special Exhibition Room of the 8th São Paulo Biennale and held the 18th Solo Exhibition, São Paulo, Brazil |
| 1966 | Held 19th Solo Exhibition, Tasca Gallery, New York |
| 1968 | Held 20th Solo Exhibition, Gotham Book Mart Gallery, New York |
| 1970 | Awarded the Grand Prize at the 1st 《Korea Arts Exhibition》 sponsored by the Hankook Ilbo, with the painting titled “Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again,” Gyeongbokgung Palace Museum, Seoul |
| 1971 | Held the 21st Solo Exhibition, submitting large-scale paintings including <Universe>, Poindexter Gallery, New York |
| Held the 22nd Solo Exhibition, Shinsegye Gallery, Seoul | |
| 1972 | Held the 23rd Solo Exhibition 《Air and Sound》, Poindexter Gallery, New York |
| 1973 | Held the 24th Solo Exhibition, Poindexter Gallery, New York |
| 1974 | Held the 25th Solo Exhibition, Shreveport Barnwell Art Center, Louisiana |
| Passed away at the age of 61 years in New York |
Books
-KIM HyangAn, 『The Man is gone, but the Art has remained- KIM Whanki’s Biography』, Woosuk Publications Co.,Ltd., Seoul, 1989
-KIM HyangAn, 『Living in Paris and New York』, Jisiksanup Publications Co.,Ltd., Seoul, 1991
-『KIM Whanki; Korean Modern Painting Collection – Western-Painting 5』, Kumsung Publishing Co.,Ltd., Seoul, 1990
-『WHANKI』, Whanki Foundation, Seoul, 1992
-『WHANKI Vie et Oeuvre : Life and Work』, Maeght Editeur, Paris, 1992
– KIM HyangAn, 『A Story Between Us : Building Whanki Museum』, Jungwoo Publications Co.,Ltd., Seoul, 1994
– KIM HyangAn, 『Cafe and Korean Paper』, Munyei Publications Co.,Ltd., Seoul, 1995
-KIM Whanki, 『Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again』, Whanki Foundation, Seoul, 2005
– KIM HyangAn, 『The Heart Under the Moon』, Whanki Foundation, Seoul, 2005
– 『WHANKI, A Pioneer of Korean Modern Art』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2017
– KIM Whanki, 『KIM Whanki’s collection of art poems : Poems for Painting』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2017
-『WHANKI MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2018
-『Whanki in New York : KIM Whanki’s Life and Art Through His New York Journals』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2019
Exhibition catalogues
-『KIM Whanki』, Iljisa, 1975
-『KIM Whanki; Selected Works of 100 Modern Korean Painters & Sculptors』, Kumsung Publishing Co.,Ltd., Seoul, 1976
-Cloude Bouyeure, 『WHANKI : Une Luminieuse Traversee』, Whanki Foundation, New York, 1981
-Pierre Courthion, 『WHANKI』, Whanki Foundation, New York, 1981
-『Commemorative Exhibition, Whanki’s 10th Memorial Day』, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, 1984
-Jean-Jacques Lévêque, 『WHANKI: Dessins 1972~1973』, Whanki Foundation, New York, 1985
-Claude Bouyeure·Jean-Jacques Lévêque, 『WHANKI Rétrospective 1963-1974』, Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Paris, 1987
-『WHANKI Oil on Paper 1968』, Whanki Foundation, New York, 1990
-『WHANKI MUSEUM Opening Exhibition – KIM Whanki in New York 1963-1974』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1992
-『Chant for Eternity』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1993
-『WHANKI MUSEUM : Opening Exhibition』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1993
-『KIM Whanki’s Book and Illustration』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1993
-『KIM Whanki Retrospective Exhibition, Whanki’s 20th Memorial Day – Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1994
-『50th Anniversary – KIM Whanki and KIM HyangAn』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1994
-『KIM Whanki Cross-Composition』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1995
-『WHANKI Oeuνres Inédites 1963~1973』, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, Paris, 1996
-『Keunwon and Suwha』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1996
-『Whanki Dessins Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1996~1998
-『Suhyangsanbang Opening Exhibition : KIM Whanki’s Gouaches 1961-1964』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1997
-『Whanki Dessins』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1998
-『KIM Whanki’s Letter with Drawing』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1998
-『Whanki & Gouaches : For HyangAn Ⅰ,Ⅱ』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1999
-『Retrospective Exhibition, 25th Anniversary of KIM Whanki’s Death : Ode to a White Porcelain Jar』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1999
-『Retrospective Exhibition, 25th Anniversary of KIM Whanki’s Death : KIM Whanki – Seoul, New York Period』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1999
-『Suwha and White Porcelain – KIM Whanki’s Collection』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 1999
-『Whanki Gouaches I,Ⅱ』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2000
-『WHANKI Oil on Newspaper 1967-1968』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2001
-『KIM Whanki Commemorative Exhibition, 90th Anniversary of KIM Whanki’s Birth』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2003
-『Commemorative Exhibition, 20th Anniversary of KIM Whanki’s Death』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2004
-『Commemorative Exhibition, 30th Anniversary of KIM Whanki’s Death – The Man is gone, but the Art has remained』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2004
-『KIM HyangAn Memorial Exhibition : Chant for Eternity』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2005
-『The World of KIM Whanki’s Paper Sculpture : The Poetics of Paper』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2005
-『Bridge of Friendship – KIM Whanki and LEE Kyungsung』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2006
-『KIM Whanki and the Beauty of Korea – Echo of Dot, Line, and Plane』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2012
-『The Centennial Celebration of KIM Whanki’s Birth I – Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2013
-『The Centennial Celebration of KIM Whanki’s Birth II – KIM Whanki, Chant for Eternity』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2013
-『KIM Whanki, Do the lines I draw go beyond the limit of the sky』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2017
『Whanki – A Pioneer of Korean Modern Art』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2017
-『KIM Whanki, the Aesthetics of Color』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2017
-『Whanki’s Works on Paper: KIM Whanki Catalogue Raisonne – Works on Paper I』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2018
-『Whanki Catalogue Raisonné_Drawing I』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2018
-『KIM Whanki, From Nature To Abstract Art』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2020
-『Sacred Heart』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2020
-『Whanki’s Grand Tour, Paris Correspondence』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2021
-『Museum Recollections』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2022
-『The Museum at 30 Years, Becoming a Forum』, Whanki Foundation·Whanki Museum, Seoul, 2022