Gallery 2 presents Eunhye Kim’s solo exhibition that brings together her 4 serial pieces titled “BODA”, which feature children’s close-up faces. Through the series, Kim reels off the meaning of “seeing,” facing her memories through the mirror of the canvas.
Work taking motif from her childhood
Since 2005, Kim has worked with her childhood memories. Her paintings depict children’s deadpan faces or faces concealed by masks. These children appeal to viewers, being interpreted as altar egos dwelling in the inner world of all people who reject or delay growth. The series BODA is an enlarged version of her own face reflected onto a mirror. The face is a child’s. What she sees is none other than her own memories. Each face of a child appears expressionless but reveals some subtle emotional change.
The overlap of images
While maintaining a composed, stable tone, Kim’s painting provokes subtle tension. The two dim images overlap in the BODA series. Before depicting a face, Kim first draws a large bird on the background. In her world, the bird is the object of fear engraved deep in her childhood memories. Looking the bird right in the eyes and revealing this clearly, Kim tries to overcome her horror. Her scene is filled with clear traces and energy of the subconscious which is hidden under the conscious.
BODA, stage where her eyes cross
In this series the artist pays attention to the meaning of “seeing,” highlighting a child’s eyes. While working on this series, Kim faces the object of fear. Her challenge is conducted through its culmination. Present “self” exchanges the gaze with past “self” through this completed work. The child presently whispers with the eyes wishing something, asking viewers to recollect their memories.
