Kim Tschang-Yeul (1929-2021)

In the early 1970s, Kim Tschang-yeul (1929-2021) witnessed a phenomenon that would profoundly impact his artistic practice. While in his studio in Palaiseau, near Paris, he observed the sunlight refracting through the water droplets on the back of a canvas. Subsequent to this, he devoted his life to the study of water droplets, a pursuit that continued until his death. The artist first gained international recognition in 1972 at the Salon de Mai, with his first water droplet painting, What Happened at Night (1972). Following the publication of one of his works on the cover of Art International magazine in 1975, he began receiving invitations to galleries in major cities worldwide, including Geneva, Berlin, Rome, Tokyo, New York, and Seoul. A series of exhibitions brought him a reputation as the “Water Drop Artist”.

Kim Tschang-yeul's water drop paintings reflect his life and philosophy. The water droplets are traces of his resilience and endurance, which have persisted throughout the tumultuous events of Korean modern history, including the nation’s independence from Japan in 1945 and the Korean War in 1950. His paths can be likened to that of an explorer traversing the universe of art, with the water droplets symbolizing the temporal and perserverant journey that led him to New York and Paris.

The connection between Kim Tschang-yeul and Jeju Island dates back to 1951 when he was dispatched to Jeju as a police officer after graduating the Police Academy. For almost two years between 1951 and 1953, when the Korean War was approaching its conclusion, he lived and worked in Jeju. His affection for Jeju Island is evidenced by his statement made in his later years: “Without the opportunity presented by Paris, I would have established a studio and lived in Jeju”.

In 2013, he made a plan to build his own art museum in Jeoji Culture and Art Village in Jeju, following recommendations from his acquaintances. Subsequently he donated over two hundred of his works to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, which resulted in the establishment of Kim Tschang-yeul Art Museum.

The museum opened on September 24, 2016. Kim participated in the opening ceremony and expressed his gratitude to Jeju and to the architect Hong Jae-seung for providing him with a home for his art. He planted a tree as a memorial on the corner of the museum and expressed his aspiration that the museum would become a space replete with artistic creations of diverse genres.