In Noeul Kim’s imagery, there is a visual language that bridges figuration and structural abstraction, where the figuration’s presence is a matter of negotiation through line, spatial construction, and very controlled chromatic fields. In the series presented, one can find a direct reference to interior settings in the compositions such as tables, chairs or other architectural fragments, which have been executed using a gestural drawing combined with paint layering.
Color control through a very edgy and refined method is a hallmark of Kim’s work. Most works here use single dominant color combinations such as cool blues, muted reds, desaturated greens that set the tone for the whole atmosphere of the pieces. The strokes are deliberate and the wash is very gentle creating a feeling of movement around the visualizations on the canvases. Her depictions themselves usually face the same ambiguity as the lines that surround it. Sometimes, the lines are quite confident and sometimes, they look as if the painterly depictions are hinted at in the lines or there was a creative struggle and tension happening between drawing and painting.
words: yannis kostarias
For instance, in ‘Loop” (2025) painting, a staircase is rendered in pale pinks and deeper red accents along with a much more comprehensive space division. Linear components delineate geometric planes, while paint is applied more opaquely, flattening the surface and emphasizing architectural features. The dynamics of how shapes are drawn and the painted plane becomes the lead as the contours compound and the spatial coherence is disrupted.
Objects like tables that appear over and over again act as the central pivot in Kim’s paintings. Usually placed in the foreground, providing a horizontal axis along which figures and the rest of the elements are arranged. Furthermore, chairs, vessels, and significantly simplified objects that no one recognizes are present at the scenes. These rarely function as detailed representations, rather, as an abstract idea of the forms that make up a rhythm of shapes structuring the composition. In one painting, a hand holding a cylinder is clearly visible and is executed in soft purple and pink colors whereas in another depiction the body fades out into a structure of lines and gestural marks.
In fact, there is a strong contrast between the pieces that are mainly about line drawing and those that have a more painterly direction. As such, those that are heavily line-dependent are quite easily identified through contour. For example, in more recent paintings, we see tonal contrasting signs used to generate construction in which the image, at the same time, is kind of spatially limited even though edges are still there.
Kim’s art is a good example of how artists can keep a fine line between being understandable and having a hint of enigma at the same time. Both clarity and ambiguity set the visual game of the artist’s imagery through repetition of motifs, her color palette and drawing techniques. Finally, while compositions seem to be quite physical, at the same time the field of figuration on her canvases constantly challenges the artistic limits between representation and structural abstraction via her creative process and painting materials.
How would you define your work in a few words (ideally in 3 words)?
Structure, Space, Gesture.
Could you share with us some insights on your new work named ‘Grit’ (2026)? Is there any particular story behind this new painting?
Most of my works start from drawings. I make very small sketches with simple lines in my notebook, which allows me to work more intuitively and spontaneously. ‘Grit’ also began in this way. I had been drawing many hands, searching for the right form and certain gestures. At some point, I came across an old drawing of my own hand holding a glass. I returned to that gesture and began to redraw it more intuitively, gradually removing the glass in the process. I found it interesting that the hand still appears to be holding something, even though nothing is there. One day, I spontaneously sat down on the floor with that drawing and picked up an old canvas that already had some paint on it. Using the colors left on my palette, I began to paint, making spontaneous decisions throughout the process. This is how the painting came into being.
Your paintings seem to oscillate between figuration and abstraction. What criteria do you use when a form should be rendered identifiable and when it should completely turn into a mere structure?
I tend to make forms more identifiable when the narrative is important. However, they do not necessarily have to be identifiable. In the end, I consider the formal elements of an image – such as form, structure, and composition – to be more important than the narrative itself. If identifiable forms begin to interfere with these formal elements, they gradually disappear. I am also interested in how little information is needed for something to still be recognizable – what I would describe as a reduction into mere structure. What I find interesting is that sometimes, even when I try to make certain forms more explicit, people do not see them at all, or they see things I never intended. For example, in some paintings where I focus only on brushstrokes and the division of space, people say they see figures. I still do not see them myself. I find this very intriguing, and it gives me a sense of freedom.
It looks like a kind of limited color palettes are employed most of the time, especially blues, reds, and greens. How do these color decisions help to construct your compositions?
I tend to work with a limited color palette. When there are too many colors, I find it difficult to focus on composition and other details within the painting. So I usually choose a few colors and work only with those. This allows me to pay closer attention to tonal relationships and the direction of brushstrokes, and how they can create a sense of space. I try to keep the process simple and intuitive.
Everyday objects such as tables, chairs, or parts of interiors are the main elements that come up in works again and again. Do they serve as compositional anchors or are they simply part of a bigger visual rhythm?
Actually, both. In my recent works, they mainly function as compositional anchors that help stabilize the structure of the image. I used to paint chairs and tables placed within a space, but now I use them more as elements that set up the composition and make it work on the canvas. They divide the surface and structure the space, something I feel very comfortable working with. At the same time, there are also works in which tables or chairs become the main motif. I’m drawn to the simplicity of their forms, and I like observing them both with and without human presence. When they are empty, they can sometimes feel almost like human figures, which I find intriguing.
Even in the completed paintings your line often comes across as spontaneous, almost like a sketch. How essential is drawing as a basis in your work?
Drawing is the most important element in my work, or rather, it is everything. My process begins with drawing and, in a way, returns to it. I think of drawing as a kind of compass or reference point within the painting. When I get lost, I go back to drawing, or I draw directly onto the surface again. In this process, some of those lines remain, and they become important compositional elements as well as traces of the process within the painting. I enjoy working with this accumulation. At the same time, I’m also interested in reducing the gap between drawing and painting, and exploring how the two can exist more closely together.
The depicted figure often looks present in some pieces, whereas in others it is almost seems lost in the surrounding space. What do you think about this figure-space relationship in your recent works?
It’s a very interesting question, because the relationship between figure and space is quite central to my work on a theoretical level. At the same time, I don’t consciously approach a painting with that in mind. I don’t think I fully control or decide it in a fixed way, and it often shifts throughout the process. Sometimes the figure is important, especially as a starting point or for a certain narrative. But as I continue painting, it can gradually dissolve into the surrounding space and become more like a form within the composition. In that sense, whether the figure appears more present or more lost is not something I determine in advance. It depends on the painting itself. If the figure works within the overall structure, it stays. If not, it fades or disappears. So in the end, I think the space and the overall composition come first, even when the figure feels important at the beginning.
Do specific artworks have been created by random experiments in your studio or do you usually come up with a particular concept or narrative in the very beginning of your artistic process?
Many of my works begin through random experiments in the studio. My studio is quite messy, and sometimes my work style is too. It’s like I look for scissors I’m always looking for things in the studio – and all of a sudden I find an old piece of paper. Then I sit down and start doing something with it, and this repeats. Sometimes I make very interesting things; sometimes I just play around with it and make the studio even messier. I enjoy working with collage and using different materials, such as gouache, pigment, acrylic, and oil. There are always pieces of paper scattered around, and sometimes I find something interesting on the floor that inspires me to start working spontaneously. I really enjoy this kind of experimental and intuitive process. At the same time, there are moments when I have to write about my work, and that often makes the concept or narrative in my mind more clear. Usually this is helpful, but at other times it can feel limiting. So I try to find a balance between the two.
Which are your plans for the near future?
I have a diploma show at Ortloff in Leipzig coming up in July and my first solo exhibition at Coso gallery in Seoul in September. I’m excited to present my work, and I’m currently preparing for both. Aside from that, I will continue working as I have been.
all images courtesy of the artist