Joeun Kim Aatchim, Next Time, 2024 © Joeun Kim Aatchim

Joeun Kim Aatchim (35), who dreamed of becoming a painter, once put down her brush in her twenties. She grew tired of being seen merely as “the kid who is good at drawing.” In 2010, she left for the United States. There, she took various detours—writing theater scripts, working on stained glass, and taking a job at a bookbinding workshop.
 
It was not until nine years later that she picked up a brush again. While searching for something “challenging” to work on, she became drawn to Korean painting. She began transferring onto silk the images of women from her memory—her grandmother, mother, and younger sister whom she had left behind in her hometown.
 
The response was enthusiastic. After holding her first solo exhibition in New York in 2019, she received consecutive invitations from local galleries such as Harper’s and Make Room. She also became a represented artist of François Ghebaly, a gallery based in Los Angeles and New York. In particular, she has been praised for forming “a sense of empathy that transcends generations and national boundaries,” especially among female collectors.

Joeun Kim Aatchim, Thirst, My Opioid Night, 2024 © Joeun Kim Aatchim

Joeun Kim Aatchim has now returned to Korea in triumph with her first solo exhibition in the country, held at Gladstone Gallery in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. In a sense, an artist who first gained recognition abroad has been “re-imported” to Korea.
 
Titled 《Minimally Invasive》, the exhibition features 14 works, including new silk drawings. The artist, who recently underwent surgery, said she came to realize the importance of gentle and careful touch toward others. This is why the works in the exhibition largely deal with memories of pain, care, and love.
 
She describes the exhibition title as a reflection of her philosophy of life. “It’s an ironic philosophy of life—wanting to reveal myself as little as possible while still hoping to remain in someone’s memory, and valuing small acts of kindness more than grand gestures.”

Joeun Kim Aatchim, Wrap Dress Love Theory, 2024 © Joeun Kim Aatchim

In her silk works—whose texture resembles human skin and hair—physical intimacy between figures is particularly prominent. This contrasts with the term “minimally invasive,” which refers to minimizing physical contact. The women place their hands on each other’s shoulders or embrace while weeping.
 
“Personally, I’m not comfortable with physical touch. In painting, however, I wanted to freely hold someone’s hand and be comforted.”
 
Her professional name in the United States, Aatchim, derives from the Korean characters of her name “朝恩” (Aatchim Jo, Eun Hye). She chose the name as an expression of her aspiration to embrace both Korean and American cultures. The exhibition runs through August 3.

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