Kim Jaeil (b. 1969) is known for radiant sculptural paintings cast from resin. Kim’s wall-mounted work, which hovers between painting and sculpture, is defined by abstraction, material experimentation, and a meticulous, labor-intensive process.
Raised and educated in Seoul, Kim studied sculpture at Hongik University, earning a BFA in 1993 and an MFA in 2004. After graduating, Kim worked as an assistant in a sculpture studio, where he received hands-on training in creating large-scale public monuments, many of which incorporated wall reliefs. It was during this period that Kim developed an interest in relief sculpture. As these commemorative monuments were often cast in bronze, he also learned plaster modeling and mold making, techniques that would become the technical foundation of his practice.
As Kim’s interest in relief as a means of expression evolved, he moved away from three-dimensional forms toward a hybrid approach that combines the spatial qualities of sculpture and the planar qualities of painting on canvas. Kim cites Western artists, including American sculptor Lee Bontecou and Italian artist Lucio Fontana, as primary influences. Like Fontana, who transcended the conventional boundaries of painting and sculpture by incorporating space, light, movement, and time as formal elements, Kim also treats empty space as a central focus of his work.
Kim’s labor-intensive process, which he developed during his early experiments with relief sculpture and casting techniques, begins with a sketch that he sets inside a deep frame. He then creates pebble-shaped clay forms of varying sizes, arranging them on top of the sketch to build the image in three-dimensional form. To enhance the sense of depth, Kim stacks additional layers of clay forms, offsetting each layer just slightly. He then pours fiberglass resin over the clay composition until it is submerged. Once the resin has set, he removes the clay forms, leaving behind a network of recessed hollows, which he smooths and refines using power tools before applying acrylic paint to the contours. These luminous hollows, strung together by an unseen connective tissue, invite close observation, beckoning the viewer to discover the picture plane’s hidden depths.
Kim Jaeil has exhibited his work in group and solo shows throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia, including at the Seoul Museum of Art. He is the recipient of the Special Prize in the 1996 Misul Segye Art Contest, awarded by the Seoul Museum of Art. His studio is in Yongin, just outside Seoul.
