Gary Kim
In the Spirit
Artist Reception and Gallery Talk:
Saturday, October 3, 2015, 2-5 pm
Gary Kim is known to our collectors for his luminescent landscapes and stunning aspen paintings. His exhibition “In the Spirit” will not only feature these incredible works, but will also showcase Gary’s broad and diverse range of subject matter.
Korean born and trained artist Gary Kim received his Bachelor’s Degree in fine art and a Master's Degree in Advertising Design in Seoul, Korea. He moved his young family to New York in 1999, where he attended the Master program at the prestigious art school, Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Since then his reputation has rapidly grown as an artist. Gary is consistently receiving top awards and honors and has painted numerous portraits of prominent corporate chairpersons and politicians.
For nationally acclaimed oil painter Gary Kim, faithfully portraying a subject is only the beginning. Starting on Oct. 3, guests to his Evergreen Fine Art Gallery exhibit “In the Spirit” will quickly discover that Kim’s passion, and his gift, is revealing the secret heart and hidden vitality that pulses just beneath the surface of all Creation. “I hope guests can enjoy the outer beauty of my paintings,” says Kim, “and their inner beauty, as well.”
Possessing a bachelor’s degree in fine art and a master’s in advertising design, Kim left his native South Korea in 1999 and settled in New York, where he earned a master’s in art from Brooklyn’s prestigious Pratt Institute and soon became one of the Empire State’s most sought-after portrait artists. In 2011 he moved palette and easel south and west and began applying his perceptive eye and nimble brush to the Land of Enchantment.
“When I watched Western movies when I was a child, I gained the impression of the West as a beautiful, romantic and brave frontier,” Kim says. “Ever since I moved to Santa Fe, I couldn’t contain my curiosity about its spiritual culture and gratitude towards nature.”
Kim is perhaps best and justly renowned for his aspen trees. While many artists find inspiration in the West’s iconic softwood, few can match Kim’s breathtaking portrayals. Each leaf and limb, tree and grove, seems to quake on the canvas, and by his almost mystical command of color and value one might believe his paintings could cast sunlight into a darkened room. “I try to convey the light they give off in such a way that would make their souls wake.”
“I want people to feel their hearts fluttering as they view my art.”
Kim’s curious eye turns also to the people of the Southwest, and “In the Spirit” will feature some superb examples of his loving fascination and deep regard for Native American culture and spirituality. Kim is a voracious reader on the subject and a respectful observer of Santa Fe’s vibrant Native American communities. “I’ve made some good Native American friends, and as I’ve gotten to know them, I began to try to portray them not only by their appearance, but to capture their spirits at the same time. Kim recently captured the imagination and admiration of visitors to Evergreen Fine Art’s annual Weekend in the West event this past June. For his entry, he transformed a full-sized fiberglass horse into an equine mural of sorts, covering one side with portraits and
action paintings of Native Americans, and the other side with paintings of American cowboys. This masterpiece now resides at the home of the owner of a large ranch in Oregon.
“In the Spirit” begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, with an Artist Reception and Gallery Talk at Evergreen Fine Art, located at 3042 Evergreen Parkway. The show will run through Oct. 31. To learn more about Evergreen Fine Art Gallery & Sculpture Garden, call 303-679-3610, or visit the website : www.evergreenfineart.com.