[GALLERY MAC] Eunju KIM solo exhibition 《Try To Draw》

Eunju Kim solo exhibition "Try To Draw" (12/4-12/31)

2024. 12. 4.

맥화랑 I GALLERY MAC

Eunju Kim Solo exhibition

《Try To Draw》

2024. 12. 04(wed) - 12. 31(tue)

Artist Talk I 12. 07(sat) 15:00

GALLERY MAC│(48115) 2F, 162 Dalmaji-gil 117beonna-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan, S.Korea

Tel.│+82-51-722-2201

E.mail│info@gallerymac.org

Online Viewing Room

Solo Exhibition by Eunju KIM: Try To Draw

Gallery MAC in Busan is proud to present Try To Draw, a solo exhibition by mid-career artist Eunju KIM, who has devoted over 30 years to creating intricate and compelling works with nothing more than a pencil on paper. The exhibition runs from December 4 to 31, 2024.

The title Try To Draw, which is both the name of the exhibition and her works, encapsulates the countless lines she has drawn over the years and the meditative, Zen-like process cultivated through this dedication.

The act of drawing—layering lines on a blank surface—is a labor-intensive and meditative practice that emanates vitality and energy from the depths of the artist’s inner world. While her works manifest as waves, vases, or flowers, the subjects themselves hold little significance to the artist. For her, the act of drawing transcends the subject matter, allowing her to dissolve into a state of mushin (a Zen concept of “no thought, no mind”), where the artist becomes one with the process.

Eunju KIM’s works are part of collections at prestigious institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Busan Museum of Art, Gwangju Museum of Art, and Pohang Museum of Art. Her international presence extends to major art fairs, including KIAF, Art Busan, Art Taipei, Art Central Hong Kong, LA Art Show, and Art Stage Singapore.

A special Artist Talk will take place on Saturday, December 7, at 3 PM at Gallery MAC, offering an opportunity to meet the artist and gain deeper insight into her practice. We look forward to your interest and participation.

Try To Draw: The Time of ‘Line(線)' and ‘Zen(禪)’

The title of Eunju KIM’s solo exhibition, Try To Draw, is also the name of her artworks. Within this simple and concise phrase lies the accumulation of countless “lines” drawn with a single pencil over many years and the “zen” cultivated through this meditative act.

Line (線)

Born and raised in Busan in 1965, Eunju KIM has dedicated over 30 years to working exclusively with a pencil on paper. Her early works from the 1990s to the early 2000s predominantly featured the human figure. These works were characterized by their raw intensity and sharp, unrestrained pencil strokes that filled the canvas with unyielding energy. The monumental figures, covering walls over 20 meters wide, and the writhing bodies seemingly struggling to escape the confines of their frames, reflect the artist’s youthful defiance against societal conventions and injustices that threatened her existence. At the same time, they assert the dignity and essence of the human condition.

By the mid-2000s, KIM’s canvas began to shift from human forms to vast waves, fluttering petals, and flowers that seemed to carry the breath of the wind. The death of her father, who embodied the vastness of the ocean, and the winds of her seaside hometown became rhythms and breaths that shaped her work. The subjects she once drew transformed into the act of drawing itself. On a blank canvas, countless lines began to accumulate, embodying persistence and continuity. Her repetitive, labor-intensive process of layering lines, akin to a spiritual practice, became an expression of the life force and energy arising from the depths of her inner self.

Zen (禪)

Lines drawn and redrawn shift in texture and depth depending on the angle of light, creating a dynamic interplay between black forms on white paper. These forms, shimmering yet solid, stand out in contrast to the blank background, embodying the harmony of complementary forces. While her works ultimately take the shape of waves, vases, or flowers, these forms are merely visual appearances. As the artist herself states, “A flower is not a flower, a vase is not a vase, and a wave is not a wave.” The subject of her drawings no longer holds importance.

Through the meditative process of repetitive line-drawing, KIM transcends thought and self-awareness, becoming one with the act of drawing itself. This mindful detachment has become her current artistic pursuit, a practice aligned with her age of "ease of hearing" (isoon, a stage in Confucian thought where one listens and understands without bias).

Chinese Buddhist scholar Fei Yong describes spiritual practice as “remaining undisturbed by the forms and ideas of this world, dwelling peacefully in one’s true nature, feeling the joy of life itself, and discerning its essence.” This practice seeks to cultivate a mind unshaken by external appearances and phenomena, ultimately finding solace and balance amidst the suffering and turmoil of existence. Eunju KIM’s assertion that “a flower is not a flower, a vase is not a vase, and a wave is not a wave” resonates deeply with this philosophy.

What began as a simple enjoyment has evolved into an act of “drawing” that mirrors spiritual practice. Over three decades, her persistent repetition of drawing lines embodies a journey of self-discovery and mindfulness, one that powerfully resonates with viewers and leaves a lasting impression.

/ Jeongwon KIM (Gallerist / Gallery MAC), 2024