Kim Jung-gi performs a live drawing in 2016, in Washington, the U.S. in the photo provided by Superani, which managed the artist. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Late drawing artist Kim Jung-gi’s works will go on display in Paris, the Korean Cultural Center in France has said, in remembrance of his innate ability for live drawing and a special bond with the country.
In a recent post, the center said a special retrospective, “Infinite Lines,” looking back on his past works will open Thursday (French time).
Kim was widely known for live drawing in and out of the country that leave viewers in total awe or disbelief. Images seemed to flow out of his hand as if he were tracing invisible underdrawings.
“We are holding Kim Jung-gi’s retrospective in his most visited (foreign) city. This means his art will live forever and continue to be shared by many people,” Kim Hyun-jin, president of the Kim Jung-gi Museum, said, according to the Korean Cultural Center’s website.
In 2012, he was invited to Strabulles, an animation festival in Strasbourg, eastern France, which became a trigger for a flurry of invitations to global events.
He was a frequent attendee at the Angouleme International Comics Festival, one of the biggest comics festivals in Europe, and went around the globe for solo exhibitions, lectures, drawing shows and book signing events, spending more time on overseas projects than those in Korea.
In 2013 and 2014, his two drawings, along with the live drawing videos, were auctioned off at Christie’s.
He has since illustrated for the Korean edition of “The Paradise” and “Third Humanity” by Bernard Werber, a globally recognized French science fiction writer.
Together with writer Jean-David Morvan, he also published the graphic novel “McCurry, NY 11 September 2011,” a story about the life of photojournalist Steve McCurry, best known for his striking cover photo for National Geographic depicting an Afghan girl with piercing sapphire green eyes.
In 2018, he collaborated with Blizzard Entertainment to create an epic cover art for World of Warcraft.
In October last year, the artist suddenly died of a heart attack in Paris, where he held a live drawing show, before boarding a plane bound for New York to attend New York Comic Con, an annual event dedicated to comics and graphic novels. He was 47.
“I don’t put a limitation on what I do. I do it as long as it is fun. Honestly, I don’t care if people love my work. When it comes to artwork, the most important thing is how I feel about my work,” he said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency back in 2017.
“I don’t have a big goal. I just hope that I continue having fun while I draw,” Kim said.
The retrospective will run through March 16.
(Yonhap)
