Kim Mangeun is an artist who has developed a distinctive painterly language through the use of seokchae—natural mineral pigments made by grinding stones, soil, and ores collected directly from nature. By combining these finely ground pigments with plant-based binders, he creates works that convey lyrical inner landscapes shaped by memory, time, and lived experience. His practice is grounded in an ongoing investigation of materiality, positioning natural substances as the foundation of form and meaning.
Recurring motifs such as fish, deer, poplar trees, sparrows, and quietly gathered human figures appear throughout his work. These familiar, vernacular images carry a gentle sense of humor while reflecting a humanistic perspective on existence, nature, and community. Moving fluidly between figuration and abstraction, Kim’s paintings evoke the flow of time and the contours of the mind through restrained geometric rhythms and softened organic forms.
The granular texture and depth of color unique to seokchae lend his surfaces a warmth and visual weight rarely found in synthetic media. Subdued tones—often milky whites and muted blues—minimize visual noise and invite contemplation, offering viewers a sense of calm similar to that experienced in nature. Rather than depicting external scenery, Kim’s work suggests an inward, meditative landscape—what he often describes as a “landscape of the mind.”
Kim Mangeun has held over 30 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions and international art fairs, including MANIF and KIAF, as well as events in China, Australia, and the United States. He is a recipient of the Korea Art Award and the MANIF Excellence Award. His works are included in the collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, among other public and private institutions. He currently lives and works in Wonju, Gangwon Province.