E2024-G127
Korean-American Abstract Expressionist: Po Kim
Narrative
Po Kim (1917-1940) was a Korean-American visual artist, one of the first among a generation of Korean artists to move to the United States in the mid-20th century. His works evolved in style over the course of his career from abstract expressionism, to realistic still-life, to large scale neo-expressionism.
Born in Changnyeong, Kim went to Tokyo in this youth to study art like many young Korean artists of the time. Upon returning to Korea in 1946, he established the Department of Fine Arts at Chosun University, where he served as chair and professor for nearly a decade. In 1947, Kim also founded the Gwangju Fine Arts Research Society and became a member of the Hwanguhoe Artists Collective along with notable artists such as Heo Baek-ryeon (1891-1977), Bae Dong-sin (1920-2008), and Chun Kyung-ja (1924-2015). In 1955, he was invited to the U.S. for a fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He then moved to New York City, where met his wife Sylvia Wald, also an artist, and spent the rest of his life.
A permanent collection of Kim’s works are held at the Po Kim and Sylvia Wald Museum of Art, an affiliate of the Chosun University Museum of Art, located within the historic Main Building of Chosun University.
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