Kim Keuntae is an artist who explores the essence of nature and existence through painting. His restrained brushstrokes and subdued tones eliminate all unnecessary decoration, revealing the organic relationships between nature and humanity, life and death, emptiness and fullness.
With minimal intervention, Kim builds layers of time and contemplation onto the canvas through repetitive gestures. While his monochromatic surfaces recall the aesthetics of traditional Korean ceramics such as white porcelain moon jars, he resists being confined to any single artistic movement. For Kim, painting is not simply about what is seen, but about questioning the very act of seeing itself.
“There is presence in emptiness, and the sublime in stillness,” he says. His paintings are not representations of perfection, but meditative acts that reflect a sincere pursuit of inner truth.
Rather than depicting specific forms, Kim’s works begin with the question of how to exist. Natural elements—clouds, waves, rocks—appear not as subjects, but as pathways to reflect on the truth of being. Nature, for the artist, is a mirror of the purest self and a source of intuition and freedom.
Recognizing that the pursuit of perfection often distances us from authenticity, Kim instead embraces the act of emptying as a way to approach essence. This attitude permeates every surface of his work, inviting the viewer not just to observe, but to reflect and engage in introspection.
“My work is a series of questions. Not a finished result, but a record of ongoing inquiry and thought.”
Through paintings that transcend the limits of the flat surface, Kim Keuntae evokes a quiet sublimity—one that encourages viewers to rediscover a space for stillness and contemplation in the midst of modern life.