Minyoung Kim. Michievous Dreamer.

About

We are confronted with inanimate objects humanised with inquisitive eyes and fruits illustrated with cartoon faces. These interventions explore ideas around the surreal and uncanny – themes that underline Kim’s larger practice. Cats feature throughout the works and are often used to subvert or accelerate dangerous, precarious situations whether it is a cat valiantly holding on to a palm tree in a storm, or haunting feline eyes reflecting on a sharp knife’s edge. The cats tap into something very human in us, our anxieties, fears and hopes. By placing them in a fictious world, Kim suggests there are real-life consequences.

In this latest series of works, there is a large furry creature that at first glance can be understood as a cat. Yet with further investigation, we see thick, sharp claws and a shaggy coat – characteristics more akin to a prehistoric mammal. In this creature, Kim takes her role as a storyteller further, creating a bold animal that towers over the land. Where the cat might be seen as a cerebral observer, this extraverted and enormously scaled creature takes centre stage boundlessly exploring the landscape. With these works painted from the vantage point of the character – we the viewer are further drawn into the narrative.

Food plays an important role in many of the paintings. In particular, Kim examines the preparations and rituals surrounding around a meal. The artist interjects these moments and underscores them with a quiet horror such as a lobster surviving a boiling bath, or a knife held by an invisible force. Whether it is food, pets or flowers, there is an exploration of objects and ideas that are traditionally employed to provide comfort. Kim highlights an ambivalence towards these comforting balms and suggests there is a level of catastrophe inherent in most things. She also considers an astute proposition – that without risk, comes no reward, and that would result in an exceedingly tame affair.

Minyoung Kim was born in Seoul in 1989, and lives and works in London. Graduating from The Slade School of Fine Art in 2021, Kim also holds an MFA in printmaking and a BA in Western Painting from Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea. Previous solo exhibitions include at Taymour Grahne Projects (london) Aout Gallery (Beirut), Place Mak (Seoul), Seogyo Art Space (Seoul), and various other Seoul-based spaces. Recent group exhibitions include at The National Taiwan Arts Education Centre (Taipei), Artime Art Centre (China) and Fortnight Institute (NY).