The theme of this exhibition is the question of the actual existence of all things that are perceived in this world, either in material or immaterial form.

(Yongchul Kim)

The contrasts between matter and spirit, stillness and movement, form and emptiness are depicted by Yongchul Kim with dark backgrounds and broad powerful brushstrokes in the works in the exhibition. Everything seems to be in a state of fluid transition. For him, the “actual existence of all things” is not merely a given; it transcends subjective and obvious experience. This deeply philosophical and culturally influenced reality can be understood on different levels in the paintings by Yongchul Kim.

The boy depicted in the picture and the form of water surrounding him, interwoven with his body, symbolize the image of man as he is shaped by his environment and external influences. Through his seemingly empty body, I also want to pose an existential question about the nature of being.

(Yongchul Kim on Welle, 2025, oil on canvas, 80 x 70 cm)

The silence, the inner world of the figures, contrasts with the wave, the external, active energies. Simultaneously emerging and disintegrating, Yongchul Kim paints with free and condensed brushstrokes. They cluster together to form people, plants, animals, or spatial backdrops. While in one place the power of the paint application catches the eye, in another it is the vibrating dissolution of the brushstroke and then again the sensitive and well-formulated way in which the characters are painted. They are immersed in themselves and refer to social and private themes.

“Welle, Nickerchen” is a depiction of a woman sitting on a chair taking a short afternoon nap. Her body disappears in abstract representation and reappears in concrete form in places. Through her appearance, as if she were sleeping and dreaming, I wanted to make existential reality visible, like a brief dream in broad daylight. At the same time, I wanted to show that this reality ultimately consists of infinitely recurring moments.

(Yongchul Kim on Welle, Nickerchen, 2025, oil on canvas, 120 x 100 cm)

The imagery arises from this content-driven focus. In addition to social themes such as questions of identity and origin, the paintings address existential questions:

Where do we come from, and where are we going? A wave is coming; it is taking us with it.

(Yongchul Kim)