Beautiful and Surreal Still Life Paintings by Sung Hwa Kim

Brooklyn-based artist Sung Hwa Kim was born in Seoul and holds a BFA from the Art Institute of Boston (2008) and an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (2012).

His work explores the passage of time through the traditional Korean white porcelain jar, using it as a symbol of cyclical transitions and existential contemplation. Kim invites viewers to reflect on the delicate balance between what fades and what endures, likening his approach to writing a haiku—capturing fleeting, poetic moments that are both personal and universal. His evocative use of color marks shifts between urban and pastoral, day and night, and life and death, creating landscapes where nature’s tranquility meets the energy of the city. Each painting presents a dreamlike snapshot, suspended between opposing forces and inviting viewers to cross the threshold between the ephemeral and the enduring. Through his art, Kim offers a meditative journey into the intersections of time, place, and emotion, revealing the fragile connections between the tangible world and the transcendent.

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