Cheolyu kim
South Korea
Cheolyu Kim is an experienced drawer and painter born in 1968 in Goseong and is currently based in Paju-si, South Korea. He holds an MFA in Sculpture from Brooklyn College-University of New York and a BFA in Sculpture from Chung-Ang University of Seoul.
He renders surreal dreamscapes to understand his very real childhood anxieties growing up near the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. By drawing with fine pens on largely birchwood surfaces, he explores the cosmic horror and sheer force of the DMZ as his works venture into an interdimensional hyperreality.
His artistic excellence has earned him international acclaim, with exhibitions across South Korea, the United Sates, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia. With Redbase Art Sydney, Kim has exhibited five solo shows and participated in major international art fairs such as Sydney Contemporary, Art Jakarta, and Aotearoa Art Fair. His art is in major international collections, including Museum MACAN, Indonesia; Portland Art Museum, United States; Gwangju Museum of Art, and Yangpyung Art Museum, South Korea; and TWT Property Group, Australia.
Chasing Dreams
Solo Exhibition - 6 March - 5 April, 2025
REDBASE Art Sydney
Chasing Dreams features a collection of works on paper that draw upon the agglomeration of childhood mythology from the artist's small rural village, nestled between the mountains that divide South and North Korea.
Growing up, the artist spent countless hours chasing these ephemeral visions, including balloons drifting in the sky from the North, often containing propaganda leaflets. This quest for flight—both literal and metaphorical—became a profound exploration of realities, memories and dreams. Despite these dreams, the artist grapples with the frustration of being unable to soar, a sentiment echoed throughout the works on display. In Chasing Dreams the artist invites viewers into a neo-surrealistic world with each piece reflecting the narratives that shaped the artist’s youth, where the sky was a canvas for imagination and longing.
Chasing Dreams is an exhibition depicting the artist’s emotional journey through imagination rooted in the myths of childhood and the complexities of reality. Join us for the opening reception to experience this captivating exploration of artistry and nostalgia.
Nowhere #9 Pen on paper 15.24 x 66.04cm,2012
Ohmu Pen on paper 38 x 69cm, 2018
Spaceship 10 Acrylic on paper 38 x 69cm, 2018
Nowhere #141 Pen on paper 80 x 33cm, 2014
Midnight in Downtown Journey to Nowhere #72 Pen on paper 130 x 61cm, 2020
Journey to Nowhere #37 Pen and Acrylic on Paper 125 x 56cm, 2018
Spaceship 11 Acrylic on paper 38 x 69cm, 2018