BIOGRAPHY
Kim In Ok is a South Korean artist celebrated for her heartwarming landscapes and serene depictions of an imagined homeland. A graduate of the Oriental Painting department at Hongik University, Kim has gained recognition through numerous solo and group exhibitions for her mastery of traditional Korean painting techniques. Her work blends the spiritual and emotional, offering comfort and solace to viewers through its delicate beauty.
Kim’s notable series, Waiting and The Road to Hanggeum-ri,evoke a sense of nostalgia and tranquility. These works showcase her use of traditional pigments, including bunchae and seokchae,techniques rooted in classical Korean art. Inspired by the soft, compassionate styles of legendary Korean female painters such as Chun Kyung Ja and Lee Sook Ja, Kim’s work continues their legacy with a modern sensibility.
Her paintings are characterized by their clear, luminous colors and a dreamlike quality that blurs the line between abstraction and representation. Iconic imagery in her Waiting series includes whimsical scenes of rural life, such as clothes drying in the countryside, vases of flowers, and cotton candy-like trees inhabited by fairies, all reflecting a childlike wonder. The Road to Hanggeum-ri, created during a personally challenging time, symbolizes the universal longing for a place of emotional refuge—a home in the heart.
Kim herself describes her work as an invitation to find solace and joy, saying, “If my paintings can provide comfort to weary lives, I will be truly happy.” Her landscapes, not drawn from direct observation but reimagined through her inner world, present a unique vision that resonates universally.
Her works are part of prominent collections, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korean Embassy in China, Yongin Folk Village Museum, Yangpyeong Museum of Art, Cheongsong Museum of Art, Daewoong Pharmaceutical headquarters, and Fursys Corporation.
Living and working in Korea, Kim In Ok continues to create art that bridges the past and present, offering a vision of a serene, idealized world that provides comfort and inspiration to those who encounter it.
EDUCATION
BFA in Oriental Painting, Hong-Ik University
MFA in Oriental Painting, Hong-Ik University
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Galley Doo, Seoul
2022 The LaLa Gallery, Seoul
2017 Seoul Arts Center, Seoul
2012 Insa Gallery, Seoul
2011 WITHSPACE Gallery, Beijing
2005 Seoul Arts Center, Seoul
2003 Beijing International Art Expo, Beijing
1993 Hyundai Art Gallery, Seoul
PRIZE
1992 Special Award, National Art Exhibition
COLLECTION
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Korea
Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China
Cheongsong Yasong Art Museum
Hongik University Museum
KB Financial Group
Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance
WORKS
