A special exhibition spotlighting Korean contemporary art, ‘Traces of Water,’ will be held from July 15 to 22 at Art Depot ai biri Gallery in Venice, Italy. Held as a special exhibition of Korean artists for the Venice Biennale, the show brings together artist Kim Eun-sil and 20 other artists at the invitation of L’OIL (Nine Gallery, director Yoon Mi-hoo).
 [코리안투데이] Artist Kim, Eun-sil |
Under the theme “I paint memory not as an image of the past, but as an emotional layer,” Kim, Eun-sil has continued her practice of visualizing traces of time through layered acrylic surfaces, using everyday objects such as jeans and T-shirts as her subject matter. In the works featured in this exhibition, the vivid colors of acrylic and the textured weave of the fabric are rendered on denim, overlaid with bleeding stains and words tied to the work’s themes, expanding personal memory into an emotional space shared with the viewer.
 [코리안투데이] Traces of time etched into denim |
In her recent work ‘#the youth,’ the artist uses blue as the color that remembers the temperature of youth, expressing growth, confusion, and freedom through droplets scattered across the canvas. She paints the marks and traces of clothing as the shape of time in which body and mind once resided, noting in her artist’s statement, “It has not disappeared — it still remains, layer upon layer, within me.”
 [코리안투데이] Layers of memory painted through everyday objects |
The artist has also explored a range of themes across other series, including ‘Being,’ which probes existence; ‘Story,’ which captures everyday life through the medium of clothing; ‘Looking Back,’ which paints the passage of life amid the changes of nature; and ‘Going With,’ which conveys the meaning of companionship.
Kim, Eun-sil has held 22 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 120 invitational and group exhibitions. Her accolades include the Grand Prize at the Korea Art History Museum’s Hallyu 7 Institutions Star Artist Exhibition (2023) and the Grand Prize at the Korea Art Promotion Institute’s special exhibition (2022), as well as a special award at the Korea Women’s Art Competition and a merit award at the Korea Art Grand Exhibition. She received the Prime Minister’s Award in 2012 and the Hongjo Geun-jeong Medal of Honor in 2025.
She has also expanded her presence internationally, participating in the Korea-China-Japan International Invitational Exhibition at the Yokohama Museum of Art (April 2026), the Seoul World Art Expo invitational exhibition at the Korean Community Center Art Hall in Toronto, Canada (January 2025), an art festival at Duru Duru Gallery in Germany (September 2024), and the K-Art International Exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center in Beijing, China (2015). This year, she is also set to participate in the Paris International Art Fair (October) at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France.
She is currently a member of the Korean Fine Arts Association, Basil Association, Korea Green Art Association, and the Korea International Artists Association, and also serves as a docent at the Seoul Museum of Art. She is co-author of “Early Childhood Art Education” (Hakmunsa) and “Art Activities That Open the Mind” (Yekyung).
Exhibition Information
- Exhibition: Special Exhibition of Korean Contemporary Art in Venice ‘Traces of Water’
- Dates: July 15 (Wed) – 22 (Wed), 2026
- Venue: Art Depot ai biri Gallery, Venice, Italy
- Participants: Artist Kim, Eun-sil, L’OIL (Nine Gallery, Director Yoon Mi-hoo)
[ 김현수 기자 ] incheoneast@thekoreantoday.com
| 지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청코리안투데이 지부장 신청코리안투데이 인천동부코리안브랜드대상 신청글로벌 홍보대사 신청 |
📢 전국 40+ 지부 동시 송출 — 보도자료 송출 신청 (₩110,000~ / VAT 별도)
<저작권자 ⓒ 코리안투데이(The Korean Today) 무단전재 및 재배포 금지>
