Jade Kim

South Korean artist Jade Kim explores the space between reality and dreamscape in his new solo show Moments. Jade’s wife is the muse for his work, forming the enchanting protagonist Min, a vessel inviting escapism through her bright, innocent eyes.

Min, the dreamy illustrative character, is a reflection of his wife’s hopes and dreams. He paints her delicate and wide-eyed amongst varying landscapes, signaling the transient nature of memory in the midst of an ever-changing world. For Jade, the process of portraiture is about a certain kind of representation - less literal than spiritual. The task at hand then becomes not so much about capturing a photo realistic image of the human form, but a certain emotional essence, a poetic longing. Min carries a protective and loving presence, but with an open, neutral expression. Her viewers are drawn in and given space to imagine their own narratives through her sympathetic gaze and rich environment.

As a subject and muse, Min is straddling reality and dreamscape, adolescence and adulthood. When asked why he chose to portray his wife in this style, Kim responds, “I wanted to remind myself by looking at my paintings [of] what we [had] lost and what we had to protect.”As such, Min embodies a liminal realm within the artist’s creative consciousness, where he engages with the complex themes of love, bereavement, and optimism. In doing so he captures the multifaceted essence of love, encompassing notions of sacrifice, anticipation, wistfulness, and the aspiration towards a shared existence beyond oneself.

South Korean visual artist Jade Kim was born in 1981. During Jade’s earlier career, he worked in the field of exhibition and product planning. This led to the beginning of his artistic career, where he has devoted himself to share what he loves and treasures with his audience. His artistic journey revolves around “MIN,” a cartoon persona crafted from his wife’s interests and his tender, romantic imagination. Through this artistic journey, Kim aims to etch her name into the hearts of many. Kim’s work has been featured in Hypebeast and has been shown internationally in numerous group exhibitions. Recent solo shows include exhibitions at Woaw Gallery in Singapore and VLAB in Spain.