▲ Artist Kim Se-hee, aka Hyodang

It is hard for us to see clearly of the future in this fast changing world. We are driven by or into competition and spending for self-display since goods are flooding over in the material world. Many of us seem to have no time to look into the inner-self and to talk heart to heart with others. 

In this time of material pursue and emotional disconnection, art throw us a remedy: the beauty of leaving a margin in life. Leaving a margin is commonly found in many traditional Korean paintings. They deliver beauty hidden under the surface rather than exposed. 

Artist Kim Se-hee has walked a single path as an artist for the last 50 years. Born in Hwanghae Province in the North, her escaped from the bombshell during the Korean War and took refuge in South Chungcheong Province and Incheon when she was only 5 years old.

Despite the terrifying war, she was enchanted by the beauty of Korean landscapes and sceneries and she shifted them onto canvas when she made for middle school. Interestingly, her grand father Kim Eun-ho aka Leedang was a royal painter during the reign of the King Gojong.

She polished up her skill under instructions of Kang Young-hee, Oh Neung-ju and Byeon Gwan-sik. In 1987, she started to make her presence in the are world by winning a prize from the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service. In 1990, she received a prize from the then Ministry of Home Affairs and in 2014, displayed her works at the National Assembly building and the Blue House. 

"It makes me proud that one of my works is kept by the Jilin Museum China because it can spread the unique charm of Korean painting to Chinese people" says Kim.

"Korean painting is an art of lines and how to enliven lines sets the greats from the ordinaries. So I lay my focus on this to create my own style of lines based on the traditional patterns and curves without using contour lines. Also, leaving a margin is as important as lines and gradations of colours."

Kim is an artist of tenaciousness. She completed writing the all 5,700 characters of the Daiamond Sutra, a Buddhist book. Likewise, she is as tenacious to find and foster promising Korean painting artists. 

"Painting is endless expressions of learning and a process of mind control. Korean paintings especially can help us wash away hollow dreams that the material world can offer. I hope people might learn how to control one's emotions and desires by appreciating Korean paintings."