OMAE Gallery is proud to present a solo exhibition by Min-seong Kim, whose hyperrealist paintings pay homage to traditional Korean embroidery, specifically the bokjumeoni (lucky pouch). First encountered in the 2019 exhibition Folk Painting Kaleidoscope, Kim’s work stood out for its intricate depiction of hand-stitched motifs, reinterpreted through contemporary painting. By the time of the 2021 Korea Traditional Craft Exhibition, her bokjumeoni series had dramatically expanded in scale—both physically and conceptually—transforming delicate, handheld forms into large, meditative canvases that exude energy, silence, and emotional depth. Kim’s paintings do more than imitate embroidery; they distill the timeless presence of craft into the language of fine art.

At the heart of Kim’s practice lies a fascination with time—each thread she paints carries echoes of the past, present, and future. Her depiction of knotted tassels speaks to the invisible ties between people, objects, and all things within the universe. What begins as an image of traditional ornament becomes, through his hands, a powerful meditation on continuity, longing, courage, and generational love. While rooted in Korean tradition, Kim’s work is anything but nostalgic—it offers a contemporary perspective on heritage, form, and meaning. As art in the 21st century grows ever more complex and multidimensional, Minseong Kim’s paintings remind us that tradition, when reimagined with sincerity and skill, can resonate universally.