On February 28, 2025, Perrotin opened its doors for “A Certain Scenery”, a solo exhibition by South Korean artist Shim Moon-Seup in New York. The show, on view until April 12, is a meditative journey through the seascapes of Tongyeong – the place the artist considers not only home, but the origin of his artistic identity. On view are over 30 paintings and subtle works on paper in which the artist continues what has characterized his work for over half a century: the profound exploration of nature, time and space. I had the pleasure of asking Shim questions on the occasion of this exhibition to learn more about his work and his lifelong dialog with the sea.
Born in 1943 in Tongyeong, a port city on the south coast of Korea, Shim Moon-Seup was significantly influenced by the maritime environment in which he grew up. “An artist’s childhood experiences and the environment they are born into play a crucial role in shaping their artistic identity. I was fortunate to be born by the sea, and the ocean was my playground throughout my early years,” Shim reveals. “Those memories and experiences remain deeply ingrained in me and manifest in my work. If I had not been born in Tongyeong, I may not have become an artist.”
If I had not been born in Tongyeong, I may not have become an artist.
Shim Moon-Seup
After graduating from Seoul National University in 1965, Shim Moon-Seup established himself early on as an important figure in the Korean Avant-garde. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he joined progressive artist collectives such as the Third Formative Association (which he co-founded in 1969) and the Korean Avant-Garde Association (1970). These early years were marked by a radical redefinition of sculpture: Shim utilized unconventional materials such as stone, metal, paper, and wood, often presented in non-traditional arrangements – lying on the ground or leaning against walls. His works from this period, often associated with American Minimalism and the Japanese Mono-Ha movement, challenged the boundaries of classical sculpture.
Even back then, Shim dealt with the complex relationship between space, nature, and time – the central motif that continues to define his work today. When I ask him how his relationship with art has changed since his beginnings in the Korean Avant-Garde Association, he explains: “Consciousness continuously evolves over time. In my youth, I was filled with endless questions about art, but I never found concrete answers. Instead, I kept questioning. Over time, I have attempted to seek answers, yet I believe that the questions only multiply rather than leading to a definitive resolution. I expect to continue wandering in search of new questions for the rest of my life.”
In the 1980s, the artist had already attracted attention through a series of international exhibitions, including multiple participations in the Paris Biennale (1971, 1973, and 1975), and continuously expanded his artistic practice. After spending time in Seoul and Paris, Shim Moon-Seup eventually returned to his hometown of Tongyeong in 2012. It was a return to a slower pace of life and to the landscapes that had inspired him since his childhood. This change in environment prompted the artist to focus more on painting. “While I spent most of my career as a sculptor, I started painting more recently because I encountered new questions that led me in that direction,” he explains. “In my artistic vision, sculpture and painting are deeply interconnected and constantly in dialog.”
Furthermore, he explains that his works represent a cohesive whole for him, shaped by a continuous engagement with the same fundamental questions. The choice of medium – whether sculpture or painting – emerges from his artistic thought process: “When I engage in three-dimensional actions, it becomes sculpture; when approached with a more two-dimensional mindset, it becomes painting.” Yet, regardless of the medium, the core of his work remains constant: the interplay between nature and humanity, as well as the cyclical nature of time and materiality. These themes, which long informed his sculptures, are now expressed through painting.
This is particularly evident in Shim’s series “The Presentation,” on which he has been working continuously since 2010 and of which some key works are on display in the New York exhibition. In these large-scale paintings, the sea off Tongyeong transforms into a meditative landscape of repetitive brushstrokes. Vivid blue in various shades and shimmering white merge into a rhythmic seascape that draws the viewer in. “Through painting and the imagery of the sea, I have found a way to express the cyclical nature of materiality and time—concepts I have long explored in sculpture—both visibly and metaphorically. In this way, my practice continues to explore the dynamic relationship between nature and humanity, from sculpture to painting and beyond,” he reveals.
The artist describes the creative process behind these works as a profoundly spiritual and contemplative practice. “My work is deeply connected to the body, especially to breathing. Just as waves come and go, I inhale and exhale while making brushstrokes,” he explains. “That is why I try to immerse myself in a state of emptiness, a world free of distractions, where I can paint in a meditative silence.” It is a fluent process, characterized by patient and precise repetition – without a clear beginning or end, much like the endless movement of waves.
By borrowing the imagery of my hometown’s sea, I have sought energy from the repetitive rhythm and movement of the waves. I believe this energy is inherently linked to life itself.
Shim Moon-Seup
Through these steady, rhythmic movements, he creates a boundless world into which everyone can immerse their personal memories and experiences. “My paintings express this infinite world within the passage of time, ultimately leading to a peaceful, tranquil, and profound realm. That is where meditation happens,” he shares. The rhythm of the brushstrokes and layering of color fields create an evocative sense of depth and make the transience of time visible in an intriguing way. Much like observing waves, whose rhythmic movement simultaneously lets us feel both impermanence and eternity. In this way, the viewer encounters the ocean as a metaphor for the eternal transformation of life – for the rhythm between change and continuity. And Shim Moon-Seup invites us to engage in this dialog and resonate with it.
The exhibition “A Certain Scenery” is on view at Perrotin in New York until April 12, 2025.
