paperplane Print

HyunJung Kim(金賢靜) is a Korean artist whose work bridges traditional East Asian painting and contemporary psychological introspection.
 Originally trained as an actress, she transitioned into painting through a deeply personal healing process. Her recurring motifs—Lala, a doll representing the inner child, and the dragonfly, a symbol of memory—serve as mirrors of the self and as vehicles for emotional transformation. Her painting technique merges the delicacy of gongbi (fine brushwork) with bold color fields and unconventional composition, reminiscent of Qi Baishi and Li Keran. Kim incorporates embroidery directly into her silk paintings, creating a unique method she calls “painting-led, embroidery-enhanced” (畫主繡補), pushing the boundaries of traditional mediums. By combining symbolism, self-reflection, and performative role-play, her work forms a new kind of literati painting—21st-century xin wenrenhua—garnering attention from both art historians and contemporary collectors across Asia. In 2014, Kim participated in a major three-artist exhibition at Today Art Museum in Beijing, where she exhibited alongside legendary media artist Nam June Paik. In Korea, her works are part of both institutional and private collections, including those of LS Groups and Donghaeng Lottery.