Jae Yi Kim

Fortune Cookie

On view through November 16th

Thomas VanDyke Gallery is very pleased to present Fortune Cookie, new paintings by Korean artist Jae Yi Kim, her first solo exhibition with the gallery and in New York City. Kim’s works are both calm and provocative, quiet, yet profound. Her new suite of works beautifully convey her unique perspective, and are deeply influenced by her inner thoughts and most personal feelings. We are delighted to exhibit these latest works in Jae-yi Kim’s tenth career solo exhibition, on view from October 18th to November 16th.

토마스 반다이크 갤러리는 김재이 작가의 뉴욕에서의 첫번째 전시회를 개최하게 되었음을 알려드립니다. 

그녀의 작품은  각각 차분하기도 하며 도발적이고, 조용하기도 하지만 많은 것을 말하기도 합니다. 그녀의 독창적이고 섬세한 작품들을 관람자들에게 선보여드릴 수 있다는 것은 갤러리로서 매우 흥미로운 일이며 이렇게 아름답고 놀라운 전시회를 개최할 수 있게 되어 기쁩니다. 

김재이의 열 번째 개인전 '포춘쿠키'에 여러분들을 초대합니다. 전시회는 10월 18일부터 11월 16일까지 이어집니다.

Jaeyi Kim’s goal as a painter is not just popularity or recognition. She strives for communication with her audience through her understanding of her own identity and the idea of inner strength. To her, success is not only measured by accomplishment, but more so by her own satisfaction of having worked as hard as possible to achieve her own highest levels of performance. As an artist, she does not settle for popularity, rather, she constantly pushes herself to grow and improve.

The focus of Jaeyi’s paintings have a commonality of hopefulness in the face of frustration. Her work is a response to the questions and doubts that have followed her throughout her life. Jaeyi sees the work of painting as one of the most pure and primitive acts a person can engage in, as a young mind looking back on the forgotten past and leaving a record of the memories encountered in order not to forget again.

Because of her introverted and sensitive nature, Jaeyi spent a lot of her time alone while she was growing up, and the Pierrot series is an expression of that solemnity. The series portrays the need to fit in with a group, even if it means masking one's natural features, and Jaeyi has come to the understanding that living a life outside of one's own principles can never provide happiness. The Pierrot series bears witness to that growth, serving as a journal of her own development, giving rise to work that is the most liberated and bountiful in her artistic and spiritual universe. In a world where everyone is expected to keep their feelings and expressions hidden, Pierrot became a symbol to her of how one might express oneself.

One of the narratives in her paintings shows the little dog who was constantly trying to catch up to others, longing to change into a horse that could run faster than everyone. After seeing the grieving dog one day, Pierrot and the yellow parrot made the decision to fulfill the unfortunate dog's dream. Pierrot painted stripes on the dog and the yellow parrot taught it to howl. The tiny dog then changed into a swift zebra. The clown, who had lost his face in heavy makeup, and the parrot, who had lost his voice while imitating other people's words, both spoke something to the contented small dog, with the warning “well, now you can run as fast as a horse. But you must return as quickly as possible, for if you stay too long, you might really lose yourself”.

Elements like frames, stairs, and curtains symbolize the transcendence of time and space. The past version of Jaeyi and the present version gaze at each other curiously from outside the frame. Recurring motifs such as crowns, ribbons, and pollen in Jaeyi’s paintings signify blessings. She seeks to bless herself, as well as those like her, who continue to struggle with the growing pains of adulthood in the chaos of urban life. Her work serves as a message of courage to herself and to others who may share her journey. “Princess Pierrot,” represents a reflection of her perseverance and determination. 

Born in Seoul, Korea, in 1972, Jaeyi Kim is the youngest of one son and three daughters. As a child, she was weak, short, sensitive and introverted. She. She studied drawing, oil painting, and commercial design at a private academy during her last two years of high school, but after graduation, began working in a field unrelated to painting, relegating her artistic pursuits to a hobby.

Jaeyi didn’t fit the mold of the "ideal" person in the Korean zeitgeist. Korean society does not respect individuality and often values extroverted and outwardly social personalities. Jaeyi faced criticism for her introverted nature and began hiding her true self. Over time, she managed to build a facade of extrovertedness. But one day, seeing herself in a group photograph, smiling brightly, she felt that although it was her face, it was totally unfamiliar. In that moment, she realized she was deeply unhappy and not the person she wanted to be. That was when she decided to reconnect with her true self. She chose to embrace her introverted nature once more.

The reason her work draws sympathy and hope from viewers is that the artist's questions bring out the pure longings that have been buried deep inside the heart of the viewer. Her hope is that she and her audience can sympathize with each other deeply, as if her eyes can touch those of the viewer. Her pieces explore the dreams she had as a child and the growth pains she thought would disappear as she grew older, but which persist into adulthood.

Jaeyi’s work draws heavily from her childhood. Her paintings tell stories of dreams that have one by one been given up. Though she remains clumsy and lonely like she was in the past, she is now at peace with herself. She is incomplete but free—sensitive, yet peaceful. Life may present many unexpected challenges, but she is confident she will overcome whatever obstacles lie ahead. These stories, which were both strange and beautiful, are buried within the painting and tell the viewer "may you remember your dreams."