About
Yun Woo Kim
A quiet yet powerful painting practice. It transforms everyday spaces into layered structures of time, placing within them a wandering cat that prompts viewers to continually ask themselves: “In our own spaces, in what way do we exist?”
| Medium | Mixed Media |
|---|---|
| Location | Korea |
His artistic practice is centered on the layering of space and time.
Most of his works are based on hanji (traditional Korean paper), where pigments seep into the surface, layers of powder are applied, and details are drawn with colored pencils, constructing a sense of complex, multi-layered structures. For him, painting is not merely a reproduction of a single scene, but rather a process of reweaving different perspectives, times, and sensory experiences.
Within his works, cats often wander across the picture plane, becoming both a self-symbol and a surrogate for the viewer. These cats move fluidly through the gaps and structures of the composition, guiding the audience into the multi-dimensional space-time he creates.
His practice emphasizes an unbounded mixture of materials and an open structure. He freely employs oil paint, oil pastels, colored pencils, and other media, layering transparency and opacity, line and surface, diffusion and adhesion, to build a thickness that mirrors the accumulation of time. In this way, his works are not only to be seen, but also to be experienced.
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Layering of Time: Materials accumulate in layers like traces of memory and history inscribed in space.
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Freedom of Structure: The works break away from a single viewpoint, presenting fragmented and recomposed spaces that invite multiple interpretations.
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Extension of the Senses: Cafés and everyday scenes are transformed into “organisms” with emotional density, simultaneously carrying scents, sounds, and memories within the image.
In these compositions, cats appear with postures both soft and vivid—at once the artist’s self-projection and a guide for the viewer’s gaze. In his recent works, the cats are painted in bright red, symbolizing energy and willpower, making them stand out more prominently within the structure of the piece.
Curriculum vitae
Education
2016 – B.F.A. in Korean Painting, School of Fine Arts, Suwon University, Korea
Solo Exhibitions
2024.05 – Walk into your memory, Gallery JAYU X Brave, Korea
2023.06 – THE SNUG OASIS, Gallery JAYU X OASIS, Korea
2022.01 – draw your days, Hanam Arts Center, Korea
Group Exhibitions
2025.08 – Seoul Gangdong-gu Youth Art Contest Elected Exhibition <Everything Shines Days>
-Gangdong Cultural Foundation Gangdong Art Center
2024.08 – StressDesserts, Suhin Gallery, Korea
2023.12 – With, Gallery JAYU, Korea
2023.04 – Cuteness Overload, Suhin Gallery, Korea
Art Fairs
2025.09 – The 12th Gyeongnam International Art Fair
- Gallery jijihyang in Asia Publishing Culture Center
2023.09 – Art Sungsu Art Fair, Suhin Gallery, Korea
2022.06 – Hanam Fringe Art Fair, Suhin Gallery, Korea
Book Fairs & Craft Events
2024.06 – Seoul International Book Fair, Coex, Korea
2024.05 – Junju Book Fair, Jeonju City, Korea
2023.06 – Incheon Art Book Fair, Incheon Art Platform, Korea
2022.12 – The Seoul Illustration Fair V.12, Coex, Korea
2022.06 – Book in Gwanak, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Korea
2022.05 – Paju Artist Book Fair, Paju Book City, Korea
2021.09 – Artists’ Craft Week, MCST, Korea
2019.12 – The Seoul Illustration Fair V.8, Coex, Korea
Publications
2024 – My Love – Independent picture book (Illustration & Text)
2020 – Drawing Cat’s Daily Cafe Tour – Art practice book (Illustration & Digital Book)
2020 – Maple Painter and the Girl under the Banyan Tree – Picture book illustration (Traditional Painting)
Experience
2025 – Conducted workshops and one-day classes for colored pencil illustration and creative art education across community and art fairs
2024 – Participated in various art book fairs and international book fair programs including Seoul International Book Fair
2015–Present – Over 10 years of experience as an art instructor, specializing in children's creative art programs and public art education
