#lacmamuseum

In the 1930s, Kim Whanki studied in Japan, where he worked and became close with many Japanese avant-garde artists. After establishing himself as one of Korea’s first abstract artists, Kim began incorporating elements of traditional Korean culture into his paintings, starting in the late 1940s. He produced many works featuring modernized expressions of popular motifs from the Joseon period, such as mountains, plum blossoms, and white porcelains, especially moon jars.

In 1956, three years after the Korean War, Kim moved to Paris, where he stayed for three years. In France, even though he was immersed in the new trends of Art Informel and Nouveau Réalisme, he continued to develop his own unique style.