Monochrome Master Kim Girin, Who Explored Dualistic Relationships, Passes Away

Deepening Flat Monochrome by Composing Small Rectangles within a Square Canvas

'Inside and Outside'

The 'Inside and Outside' series is not simply a work where colors are applied flatly. After layering colors on the canvas to some extent, horizontal and vertical lines were drawn. Within the small squares created this way, dots were placed one by one. This series of processes creates tension between what is visible outside and what is hidden inside, posing philosophical questions.

"Inside and outside are inseparable. 'Inside' is not simply just 'inside,' and 'outside' is not necessarily just 'outside.' I wanted to express such thoughts and feelings."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Girin, a master of Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) who has explored dualistic relationships through vivid primary colors and dots, passed away on the 12th (local time) in France due to a long illness. He was 85 years old. Born in Gowon, Hamgyeongnam-do, he studied art at the ?cole Nationale Sup?rieure des Beaux-Arts and the ?cole Nationale Sup?rieure des Arts D?coratifs in Paris. He continued to reside in Paris and developed various artistic activities. In the 1960s, he symbolized pure black and white flat paintings with a new sensibility, and in the 1970s, he deepened his flat monochrome work by composing small squares within square canvases. He used only oil paints but pre-filtered the oil with newspaper to create a texture on the canvas surface with less oiliness.

His representative works include the series 'Inside and Outside' and 'Visible and Invisible.' He gained attention through continuous research on color and was featured in major Dansaekhwa exhibitions. His last solo exhibition was held in 2017 in New York, USA. He is survived by his wife, one son, and one daughter, all residing in France.

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