KIM MIKYUNG

Grain of Time offers a comprehensive survey of Kim’s practice since the 2000s, bringing together works across multiple media into a single, cohesive spatial dialogue. Paintings, photographs, and soap sculptures are presented in tandem, unfolding a visual narrative that reveals the accumulation, fragmentation, and transformation of time and memory. The exhibition marks a pivotal turning point for the artist, showcasing her ability to orchestrate the convergence of various mediums into a resonant temporal rhythm. Kim’s paintings are notable for their interplay between clear boundaries and softly diffused edges, accentuating her long-standing exploration of color and layering. Presented alongside her recent and earlier works, subtle differences emerge—traces of time etched into surface and form. Her soap sculptures, formed through the stacking of small fragments, echo the traditional Korean jogakbo (patchwork wrapping cloth), visualizing the material and sensory transformation through the absorption of color and embedded materials.

Mikyung Kim’s practice often begins with contemplation of a single subject. Her inspiration arises from her surroundings—everyday moments and objects such as the sky and clouds, fragments of memory, moon jars, celadon ceramics, the faded hues of dancheong (traditional decoration wooden buildings), sunlight filtered through lattice windows, a phrase from a book, or even a flower gifted by a friend. Her work is deeply rooted in these personal and cultural resonances: from an early encounter with a tree that sparked her ‘Photogrpahic Works’, to ‘Grid Series’ inspired by her mother and the patchwork cloths of her memory, to her ‘Yun Dong-ju’s Sky Series’ reflecting on poet Yun’s life during a visit to his literary museum. These elements converge across time to form a unified sensibility.

Repetition in Kim’s process is more than technique—it is a form of spiritual discipline. The repeated acts of layering and sanding color become gestures of reflection. The grid—emerging as a symbolic motif of the mind in her work—embodies the will to gently unfold, connect, and mend fractured emotions; it becomes a metaphor for bridging the past and present. Within each accumulated layer, Kim confronts herself, considers the journey of life, and finds resilience and grace through patience. The realization that a series of coincidences have coalesced into a certain path reveals her quiet strength and perseverance.

Mikyung Kim’s work reflects the passage of time while simultaneously seeking to inscribe the traces of human existence within it. Grain of Time invites viewers into a space of quiet encounter—an opportunity to reflect on their own memories and temporal journeys. In meeting her work, one is also invited to dwell inwardly, to experience a moment of calm contemplation.