Exhibition View of 《Vitality》, Perrotin, Paris. ⓒKim Chong Hak and Perrotin. Photoⓒ Claire Dorn

Kim Chong Hak’s first exhibition with Perrotin pays homage to the artist’s extensive career, showcasing around 20 of his works, which include recent acrylic paintings, his representative works from the 1980s, and drawings never before displayed. Widely known as the 'Painter of Seorak', Kim evokes Mount Seorak—the third-highest mountain in Korea, situated in the east of the country–on his canvases with motifs from nature, such as flowers, insects, and weeds.

Kim considers his art 'new figurative painting based on abstract painting', building on his canvases an indiscriminate framework reflective of his devotion to even the tiniest of wonders. Mount Seorak is for Kim what Mont Sainte-Victoire is for Cézanne and Tahiti for Gauguin, and viewers grasp the sense of reverence Kim has for nature upon entering the gallery. There is a certain primitive exuberance in Kim’s larger than life vegetation that indicates renewal and rejuvenation, evoking the vigorous spirit of the artist and his joyous celebration of nature in all of its forms.

Further information :
https://ocula.com/art-galleries/perrotin/exhibitions/kim-chong-hak/