Drawn into the Line traces the artistic journey of Seonmi Kim, who began in ceramics before immersing herself in the world of Korean folk painting (minhwa). Captivated by the spontaneous lines found in buncheong pottery, she pursued the origins of such expressive gestures—only to find herself in the rigorously controlled realm of royal decorative painting, where precision in line and color was paramount. Her technical mastery culminated in the award-winning Horyeopdo (Tiger Hunting Scene), yet even this success could not quiet her longing for freedom. The formal structures that had once disciplined her hand began to feel confining, and she found herself drawn once again to the intuitive, the imperfect, the alive.

In this new body of work, Kim steps away from ornamental perfection and returns to the raw vitality of the line. Influenced by Taoist philosophy, she embraces the paradox of great skill appearing unskilled (大巧若拙), letting go of control to allow spontaneity and sincerity to emerge. Her lines, though simple, carry the weight of repetition, devotion, and an evolving visual consciousness. Drawn into the Line marks not only a stylistic transition, but a philosophical one—toward a practice that values clarity through imperfection, and grace through letting go.