Colunm by 끌로이 09,22 2020
Press release
Gala art center presents
Hobong Kim’s Solo show
“Unfamiliar time Unfamiliar space"
June 19~ June 30, 2024
In the bustling metropolis of New York City, where the pulse of materialism beats incessantly, he find himself grappling with the juxtaposition of light and darkness, rationality and irrationality, creation and destruction, all coexisting in a dizzying dance.
Capturing snippets of the urban panorama, He observes the ebb and flow of life as people traverse the streets and subways. Their faces tell stories—of triumphs and tribulations, joys and sorrows—etched by the relentless passage of time. These transient moments mirror the brevity of our own existence.
Reflecting on his own journey as an immigrant studying abroad in New York, He is transported back to a time of uncertainty and wonder. Amidst the cacophony of unfamiliarity, He grappled with feelings of isolation and alienation, like an analog Astroboy adrift in a digital sea.
Enter Atom, his childhood cartoon hero, and his faithful companion, Romeo the cat. Together, they navigate the bustling streets of New York, bridging the chasm between past and present, familiarity and foreignness.
In his oil painting work, the vibrant city scene, bustling with people, suggests the energy and busyness of urban life. The inclusion of Astro Boy, a recognizable character from manga and anime, adds a layer of surrealism and perhaps nostalgia. Astro Boy's presence amidst ordinary people highlights feelings of alienation and not belonging, as if he is out of place in the real world, mirroring the artist's sentiment of feeling alone and different. Bright colors and dynamic composition amplify the sense of harmony in the viewer.
On another way to explore his emotion, the use of cardboard boxes, instead of canvas a raw and industrial feel, reflecting perhaps the transient and disposable nature of contemporary society. Astro Boy, standing prominently in the center, contrasts sharply with the more abstract and somber figures drawn on the walls of the box. This juxtaposition emphasizes themes of isolation and displacement, similar to your canvas artwork.
"The cardboard boxes used are objects that metaphorically represent the era we are currently living in". It suggests that the materials and methods used in the artwork are reflective of current societal conditions – perhaps emphasizing themes of consumerism, sustainability, and the ephemerality of modern life. The somber tones and abstract figures might represent the struggles and anonymity many feel in today's fast-paced world, while Astro Boy could symbolize a sense of nostalgia and a search for identity in the midst of it all. Overall, it's a thought-provoking piece that invites viewers to reflect on their place in the modern world.
Hobong Kim was born in Korea and graduated from Hong-ik University (BFA) and Graduate school (ME) in Seoul. He taught art in Sun Hwa Art High School in Seoul and won several awards in major art competitions Korea. When he came to New York, he was attracted to video art and he worked on video installation exhibitions for many years after graduating from NYU. (M.A.). He then moved to New Jersey and continued to try new way to explore art work on canvas & other objects, and having solo and selected group exhibitions in New York, New Jersey and Seoul, Korea.
Gala Art Center is a full-service non profit organization art center established in 2020Gala ’s mission is to engage and inspire the community through art education, mentorship and networking, giving emerging artist a platform to grow and flourish in their creative, personal and professional development.
September,23 ~ October,09
Hobong Kim solo show
ACC Gallery is Pleased to announce an Hobong Kim Solo exhibition under the title, “ New York Rhapsody in the Box”, on view at Tenafly, September 23 ~ October 09, 2022.
He has been dealing with his experiences in New York life. He is working with Digital printing and charcoal drawing on abandonded carbon boxes in this show.
"New York Rhapsody in the Box - to me, it seems to be that the lives of many New Yorkers are reflected in the abandoned boxes on the street," said Kim. "
These are the current appearance of us living in so many boxes that are unavoidable due to the high degree industrialization. In the Box, people are waiting for train; people are sitting or standing expressionless in the train; people are looking at their cell phone; people are just walking fast to somewhere.
New York, a symbol of materialism and capitalism, is the Tower of Babel and idol of their desires.
It is also cruel place where inhuman and nonsensical organic relationships are interwined and struggle for survival. In it, we keep chasing towards something uncatchable.”
“New York Rhapsody ”
오리지날 페인팅 작업을 디지탈화한 작업과 목탄을 사용하여 버려진 빈 카본 박스들 표면에 직접 뉴욕커들과 지하철안의 뉴욕커들를 드로잉한 아날로그 작업들이다.
나는 수년간 뉴욕의 군중들을 소제로 다루어오면서 그들의 모습 하나하나에 관심을 가지고 보곤했다. 다양한 인종들의 각기다른 얼굴들이 공존하며 살아가는 거대한 물질주의와 자본주의 도시 뉴욕, 욕망의 바벨탑, 그 안에 살아가는 이민자들, 그 속에서 잡을 수 없는 것을 쫓고 있는 그들, 그리고 내자신을 그들안에서 찾는다. 물질 풍요속에 인간성의 결핍으로 많은것들을 잃어가는 우리의 모습 아니 나의 모습을 그들을 통해 보여진다.”
뉴요커들의 삶이 마치 차가운 아크릴 보드와 거리의 버려진 상자들위로 오버랩된다.
Monmouth Museum,
November 2020, on their 42nd Annual Juried Exhibition
https://arthustle.net/monmouth-museums-42nd-annual-juried-exhibition/
article
Press Release
Hobong Kim 8th Solo Exhibition invited by 4W43 Gallery
“Dream, Desire, Oblivion” - recomposition of Memory-
April 13,2019 ~ April,30,2019
4W 43rd St. New York, New York
4W43 Gallery is Pleased to announce an exhibition of new works by Hobong Kim, on view at 4W 43rd st. between April,13 ~ April 30,2019. He has been dealing with his experiences in some places and owned objects in his childhood under theme of recomposition of memory. His works trace those trivial memories, or those objects that triggers the memories, and those images that are engendered from the shown images through the media or indirect experiences, and t them into the 3rd space, and rearrange them just like i would a puzzle. The memories of the past coexist with the other pieces of memories, forming a new molding space. It is as if it becomes the 3rd memory palace, a space where our childhood playground exhibits the toys of youth-- prancing here and there, creating rivalry, or associating them to unrelated meanings--forming a narrative of our own.
Contrasting his use of symbolic figures and animals from fairy tales and the supernatural, his recent works--under the title "Reconstruction of Memory"--chooses to deliver a more expanded virtue through the use of crowds as a motif. And yet, once again, dandelion seeds delineate the buttery or one's cycle of life that transcends the world of time-space, consciousness and subconsciousness. Shadowless mobs that brush by in a dream-like subconscious, our reflections chasing the unknown within zero gravity: it is as if those abrupt moments are halted perpetually.
Borrowing words of Professor Kang Youngjin, who's reviewed the artist before:
“ The Keywords of "Recomposition of Memory" exhibit are Dream, Desire, and Oblivion. Recomposition of memory represents a process of visualizing remembrance and unconsciousness. The unseen world of unconsciousness
becomes painted art, and its visual language enchants the viewer. Recomposition of memory is an incarnation of his dream, desire, and oblivion. Oblivion is the state of not being aware of what is happening around you. However, the existence of Oblivion is absolute. It lives within the unconscious part of a mind. Ho Bong’s painting is a manifestation of conscious space where Dreams, Desire, and Oblivion coexist. Hobong’s objet is elegantly expressed in the meaning of
dreams:white horse as desire, energy, and legend of mystic antiquity, sheep as dream or sleep, buttery as a symbol of transformation or resurrection, dandelions as a symbol of the endless cycle of seasons. Moreover, the paper boats of childhood floating on the waves of their mind bring back the memory and the spirit of those early days. They free the mind of daily worries and bring delightful bliss and pure joy into a sometimes frantic and chaotic life.
Kim's 'Reconstruction of Memory' does not end here. The surreal relationship between nature and human is continually reborn as the concept of a human-like nature and a nature-like human. Artist Kim brings new interpretation of one's subconsciousness and the rebirth of forgetfulness on the canvas through the marriage of surrealist expression and psychological background from the world of unconsciousness."
Yung C Kang DMD, Former Professor, Columbia University and NYU, New York
Press Release
Hobong Kim 8th Solo Exhibition invited by 4W43 Gallery “Dream, Desire, Oblivion” - recomposition of Memory- April 13,2019 ~ April,30,2019 4W 43rd St. New York,
New York 4W43 Gallery 의 초대로 김호봉작가의 신작 전시가 2019년 4월 13일부터 30일까지 4W43 갤러리에서 열린다. 수년간 김호봉 작가는 기억의 재구성이란 주제하에 자신이 경험한것들이나 장소등을 소재로하여 작업을 해왔다. 과거의 기억들의 조각들을 상호 공존시켜 새로운 조형공간을 창조한다. 그것은 마치 캔버스안에 제3의 기억창고가 되어지는것이며 어린시절 장난감들을 가지고 이리저리 그것들을 서로 쌓아 놓기도하고 대결구도를 만들기도하고 또 어울리지도 상관도 없는 것들을 연관지어서 스토리를 만들어 놀기도하는 놀이공간이기도한다.
그의 최근작들은 <기억의 재구성> 이란 같은 타이틀 아래 ,초자연과 동화속의 싱징적 인물과 동물들을 선택하여 표현했던것 과는 달리, 군중들을 소재로 좀더 확장된 의미를 전달하고자했다. 그리고 역시 시공간과 의식 무의식의 세계를 넘나드는 나비나 인간의 삶의 서클과같은 민들래 홀씨를 상징적인 존재로 그역할을 표현했다. 꿈과같은 무의식속에스치듯 지나가는 그림자 없는 군중들, 무중력속에 무었인가를 쫓고 있는 우리들의 모습들, 마치 그 짧은 찰라의 시간을 영원히 정지시킨듯한 느낌을 받게한다.
그의 작업들을 리뷰했던 *강영진 교수(,Yung C Kang DMD Former Professor, Columbia University and NYU, New York) * 의 글을 빌리면. “그의 작품에 키워드는 꿈, 욕망, 망각이다. “ 기억의 재구성” 은 인간의 기억과 무의식 모두를 시각화하는 과정이다. 작가는 무의식속의기억과 망각을 회화적 언어로 번역하여 무의식 세계를 그의 작품을 통해서 향유하게 한다. 기억의 재구성은 꿈과 욕망과 망각이라는 기억할수있는것과 잊혀진것들을 한공간에재탄생 시켰다. 김작가는 작품 과정인 무의식 세계로부터의 심리학적 배경과 초현실적인 표현의 만남을 통해서 무의식의 해석과 망각의 환생을 연출했다. 망각이란 주위에 무슨일이 일어나고 있는지 알지 못하는 상태다. 그러나 망각은 절대적 존재의 상태 이며 마음 속 어딘가에 살아 있다. 그는 화가로서 기억과 망각이 공존하는 정신적 존재의 공간을그림 으로 묘사했다. 그는 오브제를 꿈의 의미로 우아하게 묘사했다 : 백마는 욕망, 에너지 , 신비한 전설속에 고귀함, 양은 꿈 혹은 수면을 의미, 나비의 변형 또는 부활, 무한 반복되는 계절의 상징인 민들레. 또한 어린 시절의 종이 배는 마음의 물결에 떠돌며 어린 시절의 기억과 정신으로 되돌아가게 해준다. 이것들은 일상의 염려로부터 자유롭게 해주며 때로는 냉소적인 혼돈 속에서 행복 하고 순수한 기쁨을 제공한다. 김작가의 <기억의 재구성>은 여기서 끝나지 않는다. 자연과 인간의 초현실적인 관계는 인간 같은 자연, 자연같은 인간으로 계속 환생된다. 김작가는 그의 작품 과정인 무의식세계로부터의 심리적 배경과 초현실적인 표현의 만남을 통해서 무의식의 새로운 해석과 망각의 환생을 켄바스위에 발전 시키고있다.”
김호봉은 한국에서 (1962~) 태어나 서울의 홍익대학교 미술대학 서양화과를 졸업, 같은대학 대학원 졸업후 서울에서 활동하며 주요 미술공모전등에서 여러차례 수상했다. 미국으로 와 뉴욕대학 대학원(Studio Art)애서 주로 비디오 아트에 매료되어 대학원졸업후 수년간 비디오 작업을하며 전시들을 갖었다. 그후 뉴저지로 건너와 평면작업으로 이어져 수차례개인전과 단체전을 가졌으며 현재는 코리안 커뮤니티센터와 개인스튜디오인 artcomcenter에서 성인들과 학생들을 가르치며 작업하고있다
2018
2018
Recomposition of memory - Dream, Desire,Oblivion.
7th Solo show at Space Sun+, Seoul, 2018
The Keywords of "Recomposition of Memory" exhibit are Dream, Desire, and Oblivion. Recomposition of memory represents a process of visualizing remembrance and unconsciousness. The French surrealist Andre Breton, who authored Manifesto of Surrealism, quoted, “The mind, placed before any kind of difficulty, can find an ideal outlet in the absurd. Accommodation to the absurd readmits adults to the mysterious realm inhabited by children.” Kim Ho Bong's painting reflects Andre Breton's words. It could be said that his artwork is in the realm of Neosurrealism. His creative process is to recreate the visual integration of unconsciousness and reawakened dreams on his canvas. The unseen world of unconsciousness becomes painted art, and its visual language enchants the viewer. Recomposition of memory is an incarnation of his dream, desire, and oblivion.
A childhood memory is his objet of recollection. The symbolism and meaning of his dreams perhaps speak of hidden desires. Imagine yourself being free of physical gravity. Fly into dreamland and finding many fairy tale characters familiar to your eyes. Imagine meeting and chatting with the natives of the fairy tale who speak of valuable insights and memories long forgotten. Recreating childhood transforms both remembrance and oblivion into tools to find a path to a space in the present from the unconscious.
Hobong’s objet is elegantly expressed in the meaning of dreams:white horse as desire, energy, and legend of mystic antiquity, sheep as dream or sleep, butterfly as a symbol of transformation or resurrection, dandelions as a symbol of the endless cycle of seasons. Moreover, the paper boats of childhood floating on the waves of their mind bring back the memory and the spirit of those early days. They free the mind of daily worries and bring delightful bliss and pure joy into a sometimes frantic and chaotic life. Oblivion is the state of not being aware of what is happening around you. However, the existence of Oblivion is absolute. It lives within the unconscious part of a mind. Ho Bong’s painting is a manifestation of conscious space where Dreams, Desire, and Oblivion coexist. Travel to a land far away; meet with characters from fables, fly over misty landscapes while the fog lightly caresses your face. You are invited to a conscious journey into oblivion, away from the unsettling and chaotic daily life, through the artist’s recomposition of memory. November, 2018
Yung C Kang DMD
Former Professor, Columbia University and NYU, New York
Recomposition of memory - Dream, Desire,Oblivion.
7th Solo show at Space Sun+, Seoul, 2018
<기억의 재구성>
그의 작품에 키워드는 꿈, 욕망, 망각이다. “ 기억의 재구성” 은 인간의 기억과 무의식 모두를 시각화하는 과정이다. 김호봉 작가의 작품은 프랑스의 초현실주의 선언문을 발표한 Andre Breton의 말을 떠오르게한다. “어떤 어려움에 처했을때 사람의 마음은 상상치 못했던 곳에서 이상적인 출구를 발견할떄가 있습니다. 어른들은 아이들의 세계에서 상상치못한 답을 찾곤 합니다.” 나는 그의 작품을 신초현실 주의라 표현하고 싶다. 그의 창의적인 과정은 어린시절의 친숙한 등장인물로 무의식속 꿈의 이미지나 망각들을 시각적으로 표현하여 꿈과 망각을 현실화 시키는 과정이다. 김 작가는 무의식속의 기억과 망각을 회화적 언어로 번역하여 무의식 세계를 그의 작품을 통해서 향유하게 한다. 기억의 재구성은 꿈과 욕망과 망각이라는 기억할수있는것과 잊혀진것들을 한공간에 재탄생 시켰다.
김작가는 작품 과정인 무의식세계로부터의 심리학적 배경과 초현실적인 표현의 만남을 통해서 무의식의 해석과 망각의 환생을 연출했다. 어린시절의 동화적인 꿈이야기와 꿈의 상징적 의미를 통해서 영감과 의지을 키웠고 그것이 욕망 이나 신비로움이나 에너지를 제공했다.전혀 중력을 못느끼는 몸체가 꿈의 나라로 날아 간다고 가정해 보자. 잊혀진 기억을 제공하는 동화속의 원주민과 기억속에 없는 잊혀진 이야기를 하는 것을 상상해보자.
호봉 (Ho Bong)은 오브제를 꿈의 의미로 우아하게 묘사했다 : 백마는 욕망, 에너지 , 신비한 전설속에 고귀함, 나비의 변형 또는 부활, 무한 반복되는 계절의 상징인 민들레. 또한 어린 시절의 종이 보트는 마음의 물결에 떠돌며 어린 시절의 기억과 정신으로 되돌아가게 해준다. 이것들은 일상의 염려로부터 자유롭게 해주며 때로는 냉소적인 혼돈 속에서 행복하고 순수한 기쁨을 제공한다. 망각이란 주위에 무슨 일이 일어나고 있는지 알지 못하는 상태다. 그러나 망각은 절대적 존재의 상태다. 그것은 무의식의 마음 속 어딘가에 살아 있다. 그는 화가로써 기억과 망각이 공존하는 정신적 존재의 공간을 그림으로 묘사했다.
그의 작품을 감상하며 먼 땅의 동화 같은 캐릭터를 만나고 안개가 낀 풍경을 통해 비행을 한다고 생각해보자. 당신의 얼굴을 스치는 가벼운 안개가 자욱한 공기를 느끼며, 다른 테마속을 여행하며 꿈에 대한 그의 표현과 “기억의 재구성” 을 경험하면서 불안하고 때로는 혼란스러울수있는 일상으로부터 오히려 망각으로 돌아가는 의식 여행으로 당신을 초대합니다.
Yung C Kang DMD
Former Professor, Columbia University and NYU, New York
Recomposition of memory ( 6th solo show at Riverside gallery,2017)
Humans have the ability to remember as well as the ability to forget. What a blessing! And naturally there is this desire for the negative memories of life to be rapidly forgotten. Everyone is as so, even if a seemingly insignificant memory offers just that little significance, one would go unknown lengths to clench it, to save it in one’s head or the computer. My works trace those trivial memories, or those objects that triggers the memories, and those images that are engendered from the shown images through the media or indirect experiences, and fit them into the 3rd space, and rearrange them just like i would a puzzle. The memories of the past coexist with the other pieces of memories, forming a new molding space. It is as if it becomes the 3rd memory palace, a space where our childhood playground exhibits the toys of youth-- prancing here and there, creating rivalry, or associating them to unrelated meanings--forming a narrative of our own.
2011
Article NY Korea times , solo show at Benett gallery,NJ
2011
Article NY koreadaily, solo show at Benett gallery,NJ
2000
Article, "Self and Other" at Gallery Korea, New York
2000 artist-info
https://www.artist-info.com/users/artsitpublicpagewithoutportfoilo/17731
2011 KCC 어린이 미술대회 심사위원
http://newyorkilbo.com/sub_read.html?uid=5790§ion=sc1
2005
http://www.koreatimes.com/article/259198