Kim Eull studied metal craft at Wonkwang University and metal
design at Hongik University Graduate School. After working as a jewellery
designer, he shifted to painting in the mid-1980s and held his first solo
exhibition at Kumho Gallery in 1994. Following early painting series focused on
self-portraiture and family history, he has devoted his practice since the
early 2000s to drawing-based works. Working across painting, sculpture, and
installation, Kim continues to expand the conceptual and material possibilities
of contemporary drawing.
The 《Korea Artist
Prize》 is recognized
not only as the flagship exhibition of the National Museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art, Korea, but indeed as the most prestigious art award in Korea.
Since 2012, the museum, in collaboration with the SBS Culture Foundation, has
presented this award and the accompanying exhibition, continuing the tradition
of the former 《Artist of the
Year》 (1995-2010).
Intended to support the most capable and creative artists in Korea, the 《Korea Artist Prize》 always draws tremendous interest from the art field
and general public alike.
The selection process for this award began with the steering committee,
which appointed eight recommenders and a team of judges from the art world.
Each recommender nominated one artist (or team of artists) whose work showed
outstanding quality and reflected various current trends. Next, after
thoroughly reviewing the portfolios of the eight nominated artists and visiting
their studios for an interview, the team of distinguished judges selected the
four finalists who are participating in the exhibition: Kim Eull, Back Seung
Woo, Ham Kyungah, and the team of mixrice (Cho Ji Eun and Yang Chul Mo). The
four finalists will present their new works in Gallery 1 and 2 of the National
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. Finally, in October, the judges
will conduct a second review based on the results of the exhibition, and
announce the winner of the ‘2016 Korea Artist Prize’.
Visitors to Gallery 1 and 2 will surely be astonished to see the latest
creations of these incredible artists. In Gallery 1, for example, Kim Eull has
constructed a life-size two-story building that people can enter and explore.
Blurring the boundary between the real and virtual, the interior of the
building includes a replica of the artist's studio, allowing visitors to
observe firsthand the process of artistic creation. Hence, the world of the
artist collides with our own world in an explosion of thoughts and ideas,
perhaps represented by the approximately 1,450 glittering stars that are drawn
in the gallery, forming a small galaxy.
