[2026 Frieze LA] Kim Tschang-Yeul

Kim Tschang-Yeul devoted over 50 years to exploring the motif of water drops. His iconic droplets, appearing as if seeping through the canvas, transition from tangible presence to transparency, balancing wet and dry, light and dark. This meditative imagery bridges reality and abstraction, reflecting the artist’s experiences with Korea’s turbulent history, including colonization, war, and division, while offering universal themes of healing and catharsis.

Kim studied calligraphy with his grandfather and painting with Lee Quede before graduating from Seoul National University. A leader of Korea’s Art Informel movement with Park Seo-Bo and Chung Chang-Sup, he gained international recognition through the Paris Biennale (1961), São Paulo Biennale (1965), and Avant-Garde Festival (1969). A major retrospective of his water drop paintings was held at Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume in 2004. Kim’s works have been featured in retrospectives at the Gwangju Museum of Art, Taiwan National Museum of Fine Arts, Busan Museum of Art, and the National Art Museum of China. In 2016, the Kim Tschang-Yeul Museum of Art opened in Jeju, Korea, ensuring his artistic legacy endures.