Inside the Studio

Taeil Kim

What are the major themes you pursue in your work?

Humans are living through the situation that they are facing, but at the same time, they are longing for the world of something deeper. Modern people are influenced by complicated situations. I paint a phenomenon of “reality and ideality”. From this, I hope the artists and audiences make the common interpretation.Therefore, I want to share the same feeling with people by using the traditional oil painting that expresses joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure; the basic feelings of being human.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

Don’t make promises when you are happy. Don’t give an answer when you are angry. Don’t make a decision when you are sad.

Prefer to work with music or in silence? 

I usually work in a quiet area and listen to music before and after I paint. Before I start my work, I choose my music and draw an image in my head while I listen. I prefer classical music and it takes a very important role for me while I consider the brush stroke, composition, and colors. I could say that I am almost visualizing the sound in my head.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be? 

I would probably say that it would be my first portrait painting. The model was my father who passed away. It wasn’t a perfect painting, but it became the most precious painting to me.

Who are your favorite writers?

I have various favorite writers in different genres, but my favorite writer is Park Kyong-Ri. She and I share the same understanding of language and culture. I look back to a real meaning of life from one of her novel called “Toji”, which shows a rich variety of human characters.