"Trend Special Artist Aiga Young hwa Kim"

Kim Young-hwa is an artist who is breaking new horizons in modern oriental painting through her golf-themed artwork.

What sets her work apart is the fusion of Eastern ink painting with Western abstraction. Her Eastern paintings, although they may depict landscapes, go beyond mere representation. They encapsulate a world of conceptual depth, reflecting the emphasis on the harmony of opposites found in Eastern philosophy. Kim Young-hwa's artwork often incorporates the female form to represent yin and pine trees to symbolize masculinity, reflecting the principles of Eastern philosophy. In this way, she coined the term "modern oriental painting" to signify the harmony between these two realms.

Kim Young-hwa takes a unique approach to her art. She draws the entire 18-hole golf course while playing golf herself, combining the sport with her artistic process. When she enters her studio, she infuses her works with meditation, which brings forth vibrant colors that she captures on canvas. These paintings, born from this process, evoke a fresh way of thinking for those who view them.

Balancing family and personal dreams is a common struggle for many women, including Kim Young-hwa. She faced emotionally challenging times, but her visit to a golf course unexpectedly brought hope. She began to see the golf course as a canvas, where the contours of fairways resembled the graceful curves of a woman's body, and the pine trees resonated with masculinity.

The process of completing 18 holes and starting anew at each tee felt like a cosmic cycle. The combination of a spherical ball and nature's elements reminded her of universal harmony. These realizations ignited a strong desire to capture these emotions and thoughts through her art.

Expressing Western sports through an Eastern sensibility was no easy task for the public to grasp. Kim Young-hwa conducted numerous experiments and developments to seamlessly combine Western golf and Korean oriental painting concepts. She believed that playing 18 holes of golf resembled life's ups and downs, with tension, excitement, passion, and achievement. She translated these emotions onto her canvases in a positive and bright manner.

As a painter specializing in traditional Korean painting (Hanbok), she held tradition in high regard. She was particularly interested in portraiture, even gifting thousands of small golf balls adorned with people's faces. This passion led to a significant opportunity - creating a standard portrait, a demanding task requiring meticulous detail and artistic skill.

Over three years, Kim Young-hwa poured her heart and soul into this portrait, focusing on capturing the essence of the individuals. This process involved understanding their inner worlds and portraying it through their eyes.

This intense practice was an expansion of her inner world. The artist's spiritual growth was an essential aspect of her journey. This portrait underwent rigorous review by national portrait evaluation committees. The result was the creation of the 25th standard portrait of King Mulryeong of the Baekje dynasty, designated as National Treasure No. 99. This experience expanded her inner world and led to opportunities for future works.

One such work is her "원융회통" (Won Yeong Hwe Tong) series, a fusion of Eastern and Western art genres that she birthed in 2018. During the Winter Olympics season, she created 118 paintings celebrating the spirit of unity and peace. On round canvases, she harmonized red and blue colors, integrating Olympic pictograms with sweeping ink brush strokes. These paintings served as a precursor to her "Les moments de magie" series, where she aimed to convey energy, hope, and communication through her art. Kim Young-hwa believed that ink, as a fundamental element of oriental painting, was the perfect medium to express power, passion, and the boundless inner world. In 2018, she fused the harmonious "원융회통" genre with vibrant ink, pioneering new artistic territory.

In 2019, Kim Young-hwa referred to her latest work as her "life's work." This series expanded the viewer's realm of thought, expressing a world of meditation and imagination through art. She stated, "Previous works were primarily for myself, but this work is for the viewer." The series is titled "Les moments de magie" or "Moments of Magic."

These paintings may seem abstract, representing modern art's symbolic gestures, but they encapsulate profound Eastern philosophical principles. Kim Young-hwa captures what's beyond the visible world, drawn from the world of meditation. The ripples of her inner subconscious originate from the insight that the universe exists within her. Her work flows effortlessly as if following the lines, mirroring the essence of Eastern art. Her deep ink and golden touches, along with intense and rich colors, continuously express her concepts. Her artwork is truly a meditation in itself - created through meditation, it leads viewers to meditate themselves.

"Les moments de magie" maintains her consistent three-panel structure, with color, ink, and gold, adding stability to her paintings. The number three signifies completeness, reducing the stress of choice and creating balance and rhythm. It is the realization of the healing aspect she constantly pursued in her artistic journey, and her art is ever-evolving to convey deeper meditation and healing energy to both the creator and the audience.

Kim Young-hwa continues her prolific journey, participating in major events such as Art Busan 2023, Sculpture Art Seoul (PLAS) 2023, Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair, Art Fair Daegu 2023, and Art Festa Seoul 2023. She maintains a consistent schedule of solo and group exhibitions, with her most recent exhibition held at the Penthouse of Busan Haeundae Beach Country Club.

Currently, her gallery and VIP Lounge exhibition is ongoing at the INTER-BURGO HOTEL in Daegu until October 4th. Her art was even featured in the office of the protagonist in the recently concluded JTBC drama "Miracle Brothers." Her paintings will also be featured in the upcoming work "7 Escape" by Kim Sun-ok, the hit-making writer behind "The Last Empress" and "Penthouse," and director Joo Dong-min. This work will be broadcasted starting from September 15th.

Kim Young-hwa's remarkable journey continues, and her story serves as a testament to the power of relentless pursuit and positive energy. Enjoy her magical artwork and let it inspire positive energy in your life as well.