At one with nature

ONENESS by Kim Minjung features a series of works on Korean mulberry hanji paper, rendered in Indian ink and watercolour. The works feature undulating washes of colour, applied painstakingly layer by layer using drops of ink mixed with water in incremental amounts. The effect creates an illusory sense of depth, evoking mountains in the crimson mist at dusk and in the rolling fog before daybreak. The contemplative quality of the works invites viewers to experience a sense of unity with nature in its most infinite and eternal.

The exhibition's title, Oneness, derives from the fundamental Taoist belief of achieving perfect equilibrium between binary energies. In response to Hermes Aloft's 2017 theme of "Reflection", the series explores meditation and memory. It was inspired by a stay in a cliff-side town on the Amalfi coast where Kim listened daily to the sounds of the waves upon the rocks, as well as her memories of the mountains in her native Gwangju.

Kim's practice is often related to the Dansaekhwa movement, because of her traditional Korean materials and the repetitive acts of labour in her artistic process. Dansaekwa, or Korean monochrome painting, describes a style of painting practised by a group of loosely affiliated artists working in the 1970s. It is noted for a conscientious asceticism and its focus on creative action and the physicality of materials.