I had the good fortune recently to meet two young, Seoul-based artists at work in their studios. Kim Dong Won and Han Ju Ki's biographical similarities are striking. Both were born in 1979 and both are graduates of Kyunghee University in Seoul. But the similarities stop there. Each is hard at work developing what they hope will become their distinct, trademark style. As a Seoul art curator told me, "Everybody knows you don't go to art school to learn how to paint. Young artists have to put in the time and develop their technique in the privacy of their studios."
Kim Dong Won explained that he begins by photographing his subject. After printing twenty of more copies, he bends, folds, and crumbles photos until he gets one just the way he wants it. He also revealed that he recently purchased some professional lighting equipment he hopes will give him greater control in the studio.
Han Ju Ki takes a more traditional approach to his visual art. He is currently studying Chinese calligraphy and when I met him he went on for some time about the strength required to maintain a clear line using a traditional Korean ink brush; his paintings are mounted on scrolls and "signed" with the classic red stamp common prior to the west's influence on Korean art. Western influence is there, however, despite his conservative techniques, and Han's art might remind some of a high school stoner doodling in the back of homeroom. Or maybe it's just me...
Han Ju Ki's work has appeared at several art fairs in recent years and Kim Dong Won is currently anticipating his first one man show at a Cheongdam gallery.
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