ABOUT THE ARTIST
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Born in South Korea in 1985, Sung eun Kim has been studying and creating art since he was very young. After he graduated from Daejeon Art High School in South Korea, he came to United State to pursue his study of painting, and finished his BFA at the California College of the Arts in 2010. After graduation, he worked as a freelance illustrator of children’s books for two years. Then, because of his enthusiasm and passion for painting, he began his MFA program at the Academy of Art University in 2012 and has continued developing his artistic style.
Most of his paintings are based on photographs he took and are chosen according to his own tastes. His paintings attempt to create a sense of atmosphere and light not necessarily present in the source of the photograph, but are interpreted through his memories and life experience as he studies the photo while he is painting. He does this through the decisions he makes when he translates photo images into the painting: color choices, reconstructing of shapes, points of rendering.
Regarding the degree of realism found in his work, it ranges between realistic depiction and unrecognizable abstraction. In order to express his search for that particular degree of depiction that represents his in-the-moment impression, he sometimes describes as much information in the photo as possible, like photo-realism. At other times, in rendering the constructions in the photo, he does not necessarily follow the exact form of the figures, but paints with more flexibility. He tries to capture a sense of flowing atmosphere on figures represented in his paintings. The same applies to expressions of color. To bring out and emphasize the light in the painting as he sensed the light when he took the photos, the selection of pigments is sometimes simple, as can be seen in the original photo and other times divided and switched to colors of his own expression. In other words, his paintings are about how he can interpret the images in a way that represents his own personal, artistic, and visual interests.
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CV
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Education
2015 M.F.A Painting, Academy of Art University
2010 B.F.A Painting and Drawing, California College of the Arts
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Block, Duel Exhibition, Hang Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Nightfall, Duel Exhibition, Hang Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2017 Aspect, Solo exhibition, Hang Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Yen Chang and Sung, Duel Exhibition, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2010 City Scape, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2008 A2 Café solo show, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Group Exhibitions
2022. LA Art Show, Arcadia booth, LA, CA
Art Market, Hang Art booth, Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, CA
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Five and Under Group Exhibition, Arcadia Contemporary, NY, NY
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2021 Five and Under Group Exhibition, Arcadia Contemporary, NY, NY
Cityscape Group Exhibition, Salmagundi Art Club, NY, NY
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2020 Virtual Invitation Exhibition, Art Essex Gallery, NY, NY
2019 35 Years Anniversary Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 Art Market, Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, CA
Small Gems Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
34 Years Anniversary Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2017 Small Gems Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
33 Years Anniversary Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2016 32 Years Anniversary Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
Wish You Were Here, Hang Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Young Masters, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
Small Gems, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
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2015 31 Years Anniversary Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
Front Lines 4.0 Exhibition, Hang Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Emerging Artist Exhibition, Ella Richardson Gallery, Charleston, SC
Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
8x8 Show, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
City Streets, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014 30 Years Anniversary Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara CA
Urban Beauty Juried Show, Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA
UNDER ONE Small Works Salon Show, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
Community Art Project, Clyde & Co, San Francisco, CA
Streets of San Francisco, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Spring Group Exhibition –“Recent Arrivals”, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Small Gems, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Wine County, Group Exhibition, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
2010 Senior group show selected by Jorden Kantor, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Nave Exhibition, selected by John Zurier, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Awards
2016 Finalist, The Artist’s Magazine 33rd Annual Art Competition
Best Building Award, 5th Annual Plein Air Salon Aug/Sep competition
2015 1st Place in Landscape, Artist’s Magazine Annual Student Competition
“1st Place” MFA Landscape Painting, Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
Faculty Choice Award, Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
2014 Office Vote Award, Clyde & Co Community Art Project by Clyde & Co, San Francisco, CA
“1st Place” MFA Landscape Painting, Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
“2nd Place” MFA Landscape Painting, Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
2013 “2nd Place” MFA Landscape Painting, Annual Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
2012 Presidential Scholarship Award by Academy of Art University
Education/Teaching Experience
2019 – Present Art Instructor, Fine Art department Faculty, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
2018 – Present Art Instructor, Ichen Art Academy, Pleasanton, CA
2016 – present Director / Instructor, Sung Kim Studio, Alameda, CA
2007 – 2008 Painting Instructor, Greego Art Institute, Deajeon, South Korea
Occupation
2012 – 2015 Studio Assistant, Academy Art University, San Francisco, CA
2007 – 2010 Fine Art Studio Monitor, California College of the Art, San Francisco, CA
Publication
2014 Southwest Art magazine, “Moments of beauty”, P18 by Bonnie Gangelhoff (December)