HakChul Kim’s The Path of Art with Origins

My name is HakChul Kim. I was born and raised in Korea.
While in Korea, I was the son of a family, a student who liked music and cartoons, a two-year and two-month soldier, and a normal worker who worked shortly here and there. When I was 30, I asked myself questions. “What am I.”

I took my first overseas flight. Suddenly, fear and suspicion came to me in the night sky headed for San Francisco. “Am I not doing something useless? Can I do it?” Nevertheless, courage emerges in the corner of my heart. And I made up my mind soon. “Now I’m alone. Let’s do something right.”
It had been raining since the first day I arrived in San Francisco. After 13 hours of flight, my mind and body were exhausted like rain. But this new beginning, which I feel with my five senses, started to make me excited. I worked hard and blindly every day for drawing, my hands became black with charcoal, and the paper was often punctured. But I still couldn’t answer my questions.

At that time, I finally met a person who was important in my painting life. He was a fine art teacher and artist named Ho Jun. When I was confused he showed me the path to fine art. My attitude and trust toward art have developed with his help. And I decided to find the answer to the question inside me in art.

Five years later I moved to New York. And I continued to devote myself to painting. In particular, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh become immersed in their art and artistic life. Through them, I began to solidify the direction and understanding of my art. Even though they are gone, I feel that their souls and art are alive in my heart. And I came to realize how great all kinds of art are!

HakChul Kim's The Path of Art with Origins

By now, I am focusing on Origin paintings. It’s about Origin of Humanity. What is the Origin of Humanity? It is the same question about “What am I?” It means finding myself and realizing myself.

In the process of continuous effort and agony, I encountered my own shadow. It is as if the shape of the moonlight is shrouded in clouds. Which means, It’s like having me right in front of my eyes and not recognizing myself and looking for me in the wrong place. So I am trying to be always awake with the attitude and mind of a meditator with art and my subject matter. Art and my subject matter has always played an important part in helping me find myself. In the wanderings of life, I was saved from art and found the meaning of life.

Everything that happens doesn’t come from outside. It comes from within me. I’m just tethering myself. I can be a treasure myself, and I also can be the biggest obstacle. Origin paintings are a long journey to find myself and a story to overcome myself. And it’s the story of all of us.

HakChul Kim's The Path of Art with Origins “The Advent” Oil on Panel, It’s a 36″ x 48″ inch