Maybaum Gallery is thrilled to present The geographic, the latest body of work by Ilhwa Kim in her second solo show with the gallery. South Korean artist, Ilhwa Kim, makes intricate compositions made of tens of thousands of rolled, hand-dyed mulberry paper pieces. Using Hanji paper in greens, blues, pinks, and yellows, she binds the paper into small rectangular forms. The artist calls the individual rolls “seeds” and considers them microcosms within her larger cosmographies. Pushing back on the distinction between sculpture and painting, Kim creates compositions that hang together from a distance while pulling the viewer into an intricate topographical surface texture.

These seeds are lodged tightly on the surface, pushing and pulling, creating tensions and stories beyond what a viewer might see at first glance.

From the artist:

I tend to view different eras and works of art history as the history of surfaces. There were periods when surfaces were merely materials to be covered and painted. Yet, even then, a significant painting was believed to possess its own unique surface—shaped by divine inspiration or the artist's vision. At other times, surfaces became central to the work. They were seen as a battleground, a terrain where past ideas clashed or a material object forged against earlier conventions.

For me, my work no longer treats the surface as a mere vehicle for my personal concepts or as a material object to be shaped. I have come to realize, many times over, that the surfaces themselves draw me in. They have their own thoughts, actions, and vitality. They come alive. In the end, they take on the form of a kind of geographical collage. This collage might reflect the sudden growth of a towering tree, the rapid expansion of a new street, or even the unique gestures of a tall woman.

In other cases, my surfaces take the shape of a map, one that physically adapts from the past into the near future. It might evoke the abrupt downfall of a rising city or the vivid dreams realized by a tall woman. To emphasize the evolving nature of my work, I once referred to it as a "seed map". A map itself cannot change or grow, but my work exists in the active processes of adaptation and evolution. Ultimately, it becomes a living testament to the geographical form of the present.

“I create artworks that combine sculpture and painting to explore the richness, dynamism, and depth of sensory experience on canvas”, says Kim.“These layered, entangled, and ever-evolving sensory experiences, happening in a world defined by nature’s infinite possibilities, are who I strive to capture in my works”.

Ilhwa Kim's captivating paper compositions have earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Grand Art Prize, the Manif Seoul 1999 Excellence Award, and recognition at the 16th Grand Art Exhibition of Korea. Her works are featured in several esteemed permanent collections, such as the Seongkok Museum and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Kim’s notable exhibitions include Seed universe at the Dennos Museum in Michigan and the Guangzhou Opera House in China, as well as Beyond visibility at Gallery Hue in Singapore. She has also held solo exhibitions at the Seonam Museum in Seoul and Chuiong Art Gallery in China. Her international showcases span diverse locations, including Korean Contemporary in Seoul, The Monaco Masters Showin Monaco, Light and shadows in Beirut, The assembly: cumulative practices in Contemporary Art in Hong Kong, Touch of Korea in Budapest, and Regeneration in Paris.