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Lot Essay
Born in 1974, Kim Ki-Ra received his M.F.A. in 2007 from Goldsmith College in London. Shortly after, Kim captured the attention of many notable institutions and organizations to exhibit his paintings and installations. Most recently, Kim received the distinguished "Today's Young Artist Prize" by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea. His works have been exhibited worldwide at the Prague Bienniale, Art Sonje and Frieze Art Fair in London.
In 20th Century Super Heroes - Monsters (Lot 1466, Lot 1467 and Lot 1468), we see an assortment of painterly busts grouped alongside matching drawings. The busts are enshrined in adjoining cabinets formed as a whole collection. The busts embody an entirely unique set of monsters created by taking elements from 20th century pop culture heroes. While heroic characters from popular culture such as Superman and Batman possess superhuman powers, Kim exaggerates and dissects this element to recreate a grotesque yet humorous appearance. The artist amalgamates six or seven characters to give birth to a new monster by mixing the Hulk's saliva with American Man's wings and the pointed ears of Batman to form one single bust. These components are adjoined through holes and in recognizing the distance between the subjects makes an interesting piece to look at. Kim's work is an exploration of the gaps between the layers of language, and his work lays deep within the range of sympathetic melancholy to cynical dispositions.
In 20th Century Super Heroes - Monsters (Lot 1466, Lot 1467 and Lot 1468), we see an assortment of painterly busts grouped alongside matching drawings. The busts are enshrined in adjoining cabinets formed as a whole collection. The busts embody an entirely unique set of monsters created by taking elements from 20th century pop culture heroes. While heroic characters from popular culture such as Superman and Batman possess superhuman powers, Kim exaggerates and dissects this element to recreate a grotesque yet humorous appearance. The artist amalgamates six or seven characters to give birth to a new monster by mixing the Hulk's saliva with American Man's wings and the pointed ears of Batman to form one single bust. These components are adjoined through holes and in recognizing the distance between the subjects makes an interesting piece to look at. Kim's work is an exploration of the gaps between the layers of language, and his work lays deep within the range of sympathetic melancholy to cynical dispositions.