Myong Hi Kim's paintings on chalkboards are symbolist landscapes and portraits. The situation of the individual within the rugged terrain of their life comes home softly as her light touch in rendering form contrasts with the circumstance of lives as varied as the immigrant child and the displaced citizen. A simple scene of a woman ironing takes on layers of meaning: the viewer finds that a mirror doubles as a map of the world; a strategically placed framed painting of a mountain appears within the painting; antique vases contrast with domestic, electric appliances.
Myong Hi Kim was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1949. She currently lives and works in an abandoned schoolhouse in Naep’yong-ni, a tiny mountain village in Kangwon Province, Korea.
For the full Artist Biography, download the PDF below.
