A paintings artificial, two-dimensional surface requires pure belief in spiritual values. It opens a door to the ideal. Nature is not comprehensible. Neither is a good artwork, because it resembles nature. The incomprehensiveness of nature is the reason why all questions and communications start. We do not have any plausible answer to what life is, but we cannot stop thinking and talking about it. A good artwork can only show the endeavor to reach the answer.Rather than pursuing the trend in expression of social and political stance, five series of paintings aim to hold the mirror up to our spirit like pure, plain and tranquil water which can reflect everything truly without self-assertion and in the taste of tastelessness. Five series of paintings incorporate the principle of I Ching with the Taoist pursuit of becoming one with material as in the Transformation of Things, the Buddhist concept of a universe in a single dust particle and the sword-polishing spirit of traditional metal-smiths.My images are unified as a whole but unclosed, unlimited and so, undefined. This ambiguity of structure requires active perception, which originates from a viewers own desire but is also consistent with what I achieve. The broader and more general the image, the more it becomes a metaphor:  in the particularity of transformed material I discover commonality.  This interpretation not only reflects a hope to reach a commonality from a specificity, but it also shows a history of action and interpretation, discovering nature through the artistic human desire to figure out, to define or to scrutinize the moving, intangible and transforming nature of the universe.The result of repetitive yet unique gestures of layering and erasing is an aesthetic residue which visualizes a consistent mind of self-cultivation. In both form and content, the series enact the coexistence of material presence and illusion, reflecting the inherent connectedness of microcosm and macrocosm. Five series of paintings aim to achieve philosophical, spiritual understanding of order in nature via a visual art form.

Language: Korean, English  
 
MFA 2010 Arizona State University
MA 1998 Korea National University of Education
BA 1991 Korea National University of Education
 
Selected Group Exhibitions

2010  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The State of Things \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"
           Night Gallery, Tempe, AZ

2010   25th Annual International Exhibition,
          Meadows Gallery Department of Art and Art History, Tyler, TX
          Juror: Mark Williams

2010   Valdosta National 2010 Juried Exhibition,
          Valdosta State University Fine Art Gallery, Valdosta, GA
          Juror: Dennis Applebee

2009 - 2010   Pattern Wizardry
                     Exhibition (by invitation),
                     Arizona Museum for Youth, AZ

2009 - 2010   10th Annual Dia de los Muertos Festival Exhibition,
                     Arizona State University Museum of Anthropology, AZ

2009   18th National Juried Show 2009,  
          Art Center of Northern New Jersey, NJ
          Juror: Clare Bell, Independent Curator,
          Formerly, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings,
          Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC

2009   Arizona Biennial 09,
          Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
          Juror: Tim Rogers

2009   Inaugural Exhibition (by invitation),
          Miter Box Gallery, Phoenix, AZ

2009   Juried Crossing 2009,
          Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque, NM
          Jurors : Patric Nagatani, Janet Dees, Viviet Hunt,
          Richard Levy, Darby Photos

2009   Life, Death and Landscape
          Two person show (by invitation),
          GPSA Gallery, Tempe, AZ
          
2009   The Fourth Annual Majestic National Juried Exhibition,
          Majestic Galleries of Nelsonville, OH
          Juror: Catherine Evans (Chief Curator of the Columbus Museum of Art)

2008   Juried Crossing,
          Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque, NM

2008   Juried MFA Summer Exhibition,
          Harry Wood Gallery, Tempe, AZ

2007   New Grads Exhibition,
          Harry Wood Gallery, Tempe, AZ

2006   Contemporary Aesthetics Research Exhibition,
          Seoul, Korea

2006   Jisang Exhibition,
          Kwangju, Korea

2006   Chounglam Exhibition,
          Seoul, Korea

2005   Contemporary Aesthetics Research Exhibition,
          Gyunggi Provincial Art Hall, Gyunggi, Korea

2004   Contemporary Aesthetics Research Exhibition,
          Jeonju Sori Munhws Art Hall, Jeonju, Korea

2001   Contemporary Aesthetics Research Exhibition,
          Jinju Art Hall, Jinnu, Korea

2000   Contemporary Aesthetics Research Exhibition,
          Chungju, Korea

1998   Contemporary Aesthetics Research Exhibition,
          Chungju, Korea

1997   Seoul Contemporary Art Exhibition,
          Arts Council Korea Art Hall, Seoul, Korea

1997   Next-Generation Recommended by Contemporaries Exhibition,
          Guanhoon Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1997   Daily Newspaper Art Grand Exhibition,
          Daegu Art Hall, Daegu, Korea

1997   Multiple Origin Exhibition,
          Korea National University of Education Gallery space,
          Chungwon, Korea

1997   Chounglam Exhibition,
          Cosmos Gallery, Seoul, Korea

1996   Multiple Origin Exhibition,
          Korea National University of Education Gallery space,
          Chungwon, Korea
 
Solo Exhibitions

2010   Meditation/Philosophy
          Paintings by Sungyee Kim
          MFA Thesis Exhibition,
          Harry Wood Gallery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

1998   KIMSUNGYEE 98 Solo Exhibition,
          Dawl Art town, Seoul, Korea
 
Grants and Awards  
 
Spring 2010    Dallas P. Richeson Scholarship, Arizona State University
Fall 2009    University Graduate Fellowship, Arizona State University
Fall 2009 - Spring 2010   Herberger School of Art Special Talent Award, Arizona State University
Fall 2008 - Spring 2009   Herberger School of Art Special Talent Award, Arizona State University
Fall 2008 - Spring 2009   Benjamin Wong Fie Scholarship, Arizona State University
Fall 2007 - Spring 2008   Herberger School of Art Special Talent Award, Arizona State University