With natural talent and tendency and indomitable challenge spirit, Whanki Kim led Avant-garde and abstract art in Korean modern and contemporary art and left his mark on Korean art history as sublimating racial emotion and inspiring in own formative language.

A scenery of island located in South end of Korea where he spent his childhood is a source and destination of his creation 'the soul of poetry'. In 1930s, young Whanki Kim learnt Western avant-garde art tendency while studying at Nihon University, and had great interest in Futurism and Cubism. After returned to Korea in 1937, he worked at Seoul National University, Hong Ik University, and art association as leading Korean art. To face up his art world and a position as the artist on the international stage, he moved to Paris in 1956 which became a chance to improve his ability and develop the art works with a concrete scene reflecting racial emotion.

After coming to the ripening stage as the artist, he participated in San Paulo Biennale in 1963 and moved to New York to look back his artist life. As expressing traditional objects on abstained and compressed composition consisting of dot, line and side, he created the lyrical abstract painting reflecting a poetic state of mind. Refined formative language and transparent and deep blue color made a noble meditation space where is the world of a poet of formative arts and poetic ethos.

There are three important points in his art world. First of all, Whanki Kim focused on awakening for artist's identity and pursuing essence. Second of all, his belief 'All creations are new discovery.' made him research a use of different material and texture. Last is that he combined Oriental emotion and inspiriting with Western technique and methods. It is based on his philosophy 'Arts is neither representational nor abstract but a spirit opened to everything.' Therefore, his lyrical abstract painting created the infinite universal space.

This year is 100th anniversary of Whanki Kim's birth. Busan is where he worked as a soldier-artist during the Korean War. His works created in poor surroundings, poverty and pains are loved by Korean art community and the public.

Courtesy of Gana Art Busan