Ilhwa Kim | The Geographic

Artist Statement

"I tend to view different eras and works of art history as the history of surfaces. There were periods when surfaces were merely materials to be covered and painted. Yet, even then, a significant painting was believed to possess its own unique surface—shaped by divine inspiration or the artist's vision. At other times, surfaces became central to the work. They were seen as a battleground, a terrain where past ideas clashed or a material object forged against earlier conventions.

For me, my work no longer treats the surface as a mere vehicle for my personal concepts or as a material object to be shaped. I have come to realize, many times over, that the surfaces themselves draw me in. They have their own thoughts, actions, and vitality. They come alive. In the end, they take on the form of a kind of geographical collage. This collage might reflect the sudden growth of a towering tree, the rapid expansion of a new street, or even the unique gestures of the female form.

In other cases, my surfaces take the shape of a map, one that physically adapts from the past into the near future. It might evoke the abrupt downfall of a rising city or vivid dreams. To emphasize the evolving nature of my work, I once referred to it as a "seed map." A map itself cannot change or grow, but my work exists in the active processes of adaptation and evolution. Ultimately, it becomes a living testament to the geographical form of the present."

-- Ilhwa Kim