Œuvres sélectionnées
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KIM Dae Soo
Born in 1955, Seoul, South Korea
Dae Soo Kim has made bamboo, considered in East Asia as one of the “Four Noble Plants” cherished by scholars, the central subject of his photographic work. In Asian culture, bamboo symbolizes uprightness and virtue, as reflected in its Chinese ideogram “竹,” which evokes human integrity. By capturing the characteristic image of bamboo and its leaves, the artist captures the very essence of the East Asian spirit.
Through his mastery of photography, Dae Soo Kim visually conveys a part of this unique spirit. He uses the technical possibilities of photography to represent the soul of East Asia. By presenting his images as negatives, he reverses our usual perception of the world. This inversion symbolizes the interplay between Yin and Yang, giving an abstract and geometric form to East Asian metaphysics.
Kim’s compositions are distinguished by their refined visual construction and subtle gradations of black and white. They highlight the interplay between the long vertical lines of the bamboo trunks and the short horizontal lines of the nodes, thus expressing the harmony and teachings of Yin and Yang while reflecting the delicate aesthetics of East Asia.
In his photographs, Dae Soo Kim also explores the anthropological significance of bamboo. In East Asia, bamboo is not merely an object but a subject that engages in a dialogue with humans. Consequently, his works should not be interpreted through Western norms but within the cultural context of East Asia.
As Edward Said emphasized in his book Orientalism: The Orient Created by the West, Oriental cultures should not be evaluated through a Western lens. To fully appreciate Dae Soo Kim’s bamboo photographs, it is essential to understand that bamboo holds a unique ethical and spiritual dimension within East Asian culture.
Education
1975-1979 Hongik University, Bachelor of Plastic Art, Seoul, South Korea
1979-1980 Daewoo Planning and Coordination Office, South Korea
1980-1981 Hongik University, Master of Photo-Design, in Industrial Art, Seoul, South Korea
1981-1983 Parsons School of Design, Bachelor of Photography, New York, US
1983-1987 Pratt Institute, Master, Photography, New York, US
1987-1988 KAIST, South Korea
1988-1993 Assistant Professor, Dept. Photography, Sangmyung University, South Korea
1993 Present Professor Dept. Visual Communication, Hongik University, South Korea
1989-2005 Master of Industrial Art, Ewha Women’s University, South Korea
2001-2002 Exchange Professor, Dept. Photography, Nihon University, Japan
2011-2012 Artist Residency, Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, FR
Solo Exhibitions
2024 “SOOM”, Galerie PJ, Metz, France
2022 Windscape, Seojin artspace, Seoul, South Korea
2022 Centre d’art photographique, Hwasun, South Korea
2022 Lake of the Bamboo, Ks gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2021 Choi Jung-Ah Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
« SOOP », PJ Gallery, Metz, FR
2019 « Sky Land and Manscape », Lucida Gallery, JinJu, South Korea
2018 « DaeSoo Kim Photography », Art Gallery JeonJu, JeonJu, South Korea
2018 « The Garden of Letters », Seoi Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2017 « Sky Wind Stars and Me », BK Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2015 « DaeSoo Kim Photography », Francoise Livinec, Paris, FR
2015 « DaeSoo Kim Photography », Achim Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2015 « New Wave in Korean Photography 1988-1998 », GoEun of Photography, Busan, South Korea
2014 « DaeSoo Kim Photographies », IBU Gallery, Paris, FR
2013 « Trees from the People », Artpark Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2012 « Listen to the Bamboos », Eulenspiegel Gallery, & Heuberg 24, Basel, Switzerland
2012 « Sensibility of Bamboo », Ewho Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2012 « People du Bamboo », Philippe Gelot Gallery, Paris, FR
2011 « Voice of the Bamboo », Hanmi Photography Museum, South Korea
2011 « Voice of the Bamboo », Shinsegae Gallery, Incheon, South Korea
2010 « Colors of the Bamboo », IHN Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2007 « DaeSoo Kim Photo Work », Mac Gallery, Busan, South Korea
2006 « Sky Meditation », White Wall Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2004 « Sky Wind Stars and Me », Kim Youngsub Photogallery, Seoul, South Korea
2003 « Trees from the People », Keumsan Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2000 « The Tale of Three Trees », Sajinmadang, Seoul, South Korea
1999 « A Road to the Sky », Kumho Museum, Seoul, South Korea
1998 « The Great Korean », Olive Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1996 « The Land of Wisdom », Boda Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1990 « New Wave Photographer from Korea », Sunygate Gallery, Taiwan
1988 « Creation and Then… », Han Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1987 « Thesis Show », Higgins Hall, New York, US
1984 « Quest of Light », Space Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1983 « Graduate One Man Show », Parsons Hall, New York, US
Group Exhibitions
2022 In the garden, Galerie PJ, Metz, France
2022 « The Resonance of Trees », The Korean Cultural Center of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
2019 « Yeosu International Art Festival, More Less Much More », Yeosu EXPO Ocean Park, Yeosu, South Korea
2018 « Frames after Frames: Modern Photography Movement of Korea from 1988 to 1999 », Daegu Art Museum, Daegu, South Korea
2017 « Exhibition during PyeongChang Music Festival », Pyeongchang, South Korea
2017 « Exposition1# », Castle of Dampierre sur Boutonne, FR
2016 « Hand », Eulenspiegel Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
2016 « Public to Private-Photography in Korean Contemporary Art since 1989 », National Museum of Modern and Cotemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
2015 « Current of Korean Journey of Photography », GASC Yunseul Art Museum, Kimhae, National Museum of Modern and Cotemporary Art
2015 « The Condensed Moment », Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
2015 « Re:Kontemporary-Fermented Souls », Waterfal Gallery, New York, US
2015 « The 21st Century Handmade Print », 270 Gallery, Englewood, US
2015 « Korean Beauty: Two Kind of Nature », National Museum of Modern and Cotemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
2015 « Hue: Rest », The American Club, Singapour
2013 « The Wind that Wakes the Bamboo », National Museum Gwangju, Gwangju, South Korea
2013 « In Between », HyeHwa Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
2012 « Monochrome in Korea », Dorothea Gallery, Mainz, Germany
2011 « Seoul Photo Festival 2011 », Musée SeMa Gyeonghuigung of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
2011 « Korean Sprit: Six Photographers », Aramnuri Art Center, Goyang, South Korea
2011 « Remember You », Hyundai Art Center, Ulsan, South Korea
2010 « Go with Father and Son: HanYoung Kim, DaeSoo Kim », Moonstruck Present Gallery, Osaka, Japan
2010 « Chaotic Harmony: Korean Contemporary Photography », Santa Babara Art Museum, Santa Babara, US
2009 « Paris Photo », Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, FR
2009 « China International Gallery Exposition », Pékin, China
2009 « Contemporary Korean Photography 1948-2008 », Gyeongnam Art Museum, Changwon, South Korea
2008 « Exhibition during G8 Hokkaido Summit Meeting », Mori Art Museum, Hokkaido, Japan
2008 « Good Morning Mr. Nam June Paik », Korean Cultural Centre U.K., London, UK
2007 « Contemporary Art Today and Tomorrow », Sejong Culture Center, Seoul
2006 « Camera Work », Seoul Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea
2005 « The People in the Time 1945-2005 », Seoul, South Korea
2004 « Looking Inside », Baeksang Memorial Hall, Seoul, South Korea
2003 « Object and Imaginations », Lux Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2001 « 19 Photographers with Calm Land 4 », Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
2000 « Landscape and Place », Gyeonggi Art Center, Suwon, South Korea
200 « 12 Photographers with Calm Land 3 », Space Pool, Seoul, South Korea
1999 « Seoul Lumia of Century in Media 1999 », Seoul Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea
1999 « Beyond the Threshold », Hillwood Art Museum, New York, US
1998 « History of Korean Photography », Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
1997 « Exhibition of Youth Spirit, ‘97 Gwangju Biennale Special Exhibition », Gwangju, South Korea
1997 « Essence of Photography Expansion of Photography », Walker Hill, Seoul, South Korea
1996 « Photography-New Vision », National Museum of Modern and Cotemporary Art, Gwacheon, South Korea
1995 « The Horizon of Korean Photography », Hyundai Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1994 « The Horizon of Korean Contemporary Photography », Gongpyong Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
1994 « 50 years of Korean Photography, 1945-1994 », Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
1993 « Photography and Image », Sonje Art Museum, Gyeongju, South Korea
1992 « The Horizon of Korean Contemporary Photography », Seoul Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea
1991 « The Horizon of Contemporary Korean Photography », Total Open Air, Jangheung, South Korea
1991 « The 1st Korea-Japan Poster Exchange Exhibition, Paper », Seoul, South Korea
1990 « Mixed Media », Kumho Museum, Seoul, South Korea
1990 « The 24th Korean Fine Arts Association Exhibition », National Museum of Modern and Cotemporary Art, Gwacheon, South Korea
1990 « Two Photographers from Korea », R.I.T. Gallery, Rochester, US
1989 « The 23th Korean Fine Arts Association Exhibition », National Museum of Modern and Cotemporary Art, Gwacheon, South Korea
1988 « The New Wave of the Photography », Walker Hill Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
1987 « Figurative Ideas », The Korean Cultural Center of New York, New York, US
Fairs
2024 Art Centra, Honk-kong
2023 Mia Art, Milan, Italy
2012 « Art Paris », Grand Palais, Paris, FR
2010 «Hong Kong International Art Fair », Hong Kong Convention Center, Hong Kong
2009 « Art Asia: International Asian Contemporary Art », Miami, US
2006 « Seoul International Print-Photo Art Fair, Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
Bibliography
Public Collection
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