Korean artist's waterdrop paintings

The waterdrop motifs in the late artist Kim Tschang-Yeul's paintings evoke a vivid sensation, as if rolling on canvas.

10 of Kim Tschang-Yeul's early "Waterdrop" paintings, created between 1972 and 1983, were displayed at the "Waterdrop Room 1972-83" exhibition at the Kim Tschang-Yeul Museum of Art in Jeju, South Korea, from 14/7 to 20/7.

The painting "Waterdrop PK73002" (1972). Photo: Kwon Geun-young

The painting "Waterdrop PK73002" (1972). Photo: Kwon Geun-young

According to The JoongAng, while living in France, Kim Tschang-Yeul resided and worked in a former stable outside Paris due to financial constraints. One night, dissatisfied with a piece, he splashed water onto the canvas to wash off the paint. In the morning light, he was captivated by the remaining water droplets. "It was like a symphony," he told the Yonhap news agency. "I took photos of them and started thinking about how to represent them on canvas."

Kim Tschang-Yeul's early paintings featured a single waterdrop, with the number gradually increasing over time. When asked why he pursued this single theme for over 50 years, he offered various responses, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily. Sometimes he quoted Bodhidharma's teachings, other times he claimed the waterdrops were meaningless. On another occasion, he explained, "My act lies in dissolving everything within the waterdrops and returning them to a state of nothingness, relieving all the anxieties and fears I have."

Kim Tschang-Yeul was born in 1929 in Maengsan, South Korea. He enjoyed painting from a young age and attended the Seoul National University College of Fine Arts in 1948. Initially, he created abstract works in the Art Informel style (informal art), influenced by the trauma of war. In 1965, he moved to New York to further develop his painting skills. Four years later, he relocated to Paris, where he discovered the waterdrop motif, the artistic element that defined his signature series.

He received the French Order of Arts and Letters in 1996, the Korean Order of Cultural Merit in 2012, and the French Order of Arts and Letters for a second time in 2017. Kim Tschang-Yeul participated in numerous international group exhibitions in Paris, Tokyo, and New York. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 92.