Kibong Rhee (b. 1957) achieves a perfect sense of the ephemeral in his hazy, dreamlike landscape paintings, in which he layers painted plexiglass and sheer fabric above canvas in order to create a convincing optical depth that draws the viewer in.
The scenes in these works appear to be in the process of either disappearing and taking form, capturing a between a moment in time and space.
The diaphanous quality of these images is informed by the foggy and humid landscape surrounding Rhee’s studio in Korea. Water plays a crucial role in these paintings, as Rhee believes that water, in its variety of forms, embodies the fleetingness of life.
Kibong Rhee has had solo exhibitions at Tina Kim Gallery, New York; and Kukje Gallery, Seoul. His works have been included in the Gwangju Biennale, Korea; Changwon Sculpture Biennale, Korea; the Mediations Biennale, Poland; the Busan Biennale, Korea; and the Moscow Biennale. Works by Rhee have been included in exhibitions at institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia; the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; the Kumho Museum of Art, Seoul; the Daegu Museum of Art, Korea; the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Taiwan; the Seoul Museum of Art; and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. His works can be found in the private collections of the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul; the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul; and the Seoul Museum of Art.
In Korea, Rhee's works belong in the public collections of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, and Artsonje Museum.
In the upcoming fall, Rhee will be exhibiting as part of the LACMA show Ink Dreams: Selections from the Foundation INK Collection.
Kibong Rhee (b. 1957)
Where I Stand C1, 2022
Acrylic and polyester fiber on canvas
70.87 x 70.87 inches
180 x 180 cm
Kibong Rhee (b. 1957)
Where I Stand A1, 2022
Acrylic and polyester fiber on canvas
43.31 x 43.31 inches
110 x 110 cm
Kibong Rhee's “Wet Psyche—No Wind” is in the museum’s Fondation Ink Collection.
Kibong Rhee will participate in Changwon Sculpture Biennale 2016, taking place in the Changwon Yongji Lake area from September 22 to October 23, 2016. One hundred sixteen artists and collectives from 14 different countries will participate in the 3rd iteration of Changwon Sculpture Biennale, a biennial that was founded in 2010. Titled Eok-Jo-Chang-Saeng (億造創生: We create things, things create us), this exhibition will feature artworks that express the beauty of nature as it stands. Kibong Rhee will showcase his There is No Place – The Sleep Machine (2003).
Born in 1957, in Seoul, Rhee Kibong is an artist using elements like fog, bubble, water, and dust. He explains the beauty of these substances although they are ephemeral and fades easily and explains that our body works in a similar way. He does not set any limits to materials, rather makes painting and installation both. Earning his B.F.A and M.F.A in Painting from Seoul National University, he is currently a professor of Fine Arts Department at the Korea University. He was included in Cagnes International Art Festival(1991), Bienal de Arte Contemporaneo de Sevilla(2008), Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art(2009), Moscow Biennale(2011) and other many exhibitions, gain attention.
