shimmering, transparent beauty. this is the work of Kim Chang-yeol (1929-2021), the “drip painter” we remember. but behind the beauty lies the devastating scars of the Korean War and the loneliness of being an alien. this large-scale retrospective of Kim Chang-yeol at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, is the first exhibition of his work since his death, and it sheds light on the origins of his droplets and his intense artistic journey in its entirety.

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the Origins of Droplets: Traces of Wounds and Pain

“I painted droplets after seeing the holes in my skin.” for Kim Chang-yeol, water droplets weren’t just a natural phenomenon. having witnessed countless deaths during the Korean War, they were “wounds,” like bullet marks, and “tears,” which purified and comforted his pain. Eleven unpublished drawings from his time in New York, on view for the first time in this exhibition, help us understand the artist’s work by vividly illustrating the transformation of concrete bodies and wounds into droplets.

frustration in New York, birth in Paris

in 1965, Kim moved to New York City at the urging of Hwan Ki Kim, but life was not easy. The alienation he felt in the affluent city and his frustration as an artist was “as painful as the Korean War,” he recalls. it was during this time that he turned to geometric abstraction in place of the wild representations of encaustic, and it wasn’t until he settled in Paris in 1969 that he began what we know as “drip painting”. his first drip painting, It Happened at Night (1972), created in a studio converted from a ramshackle stable, is a seminal work that marks the beginning of his 50-year drip journey.

김창열 회고전 총상 현대미술관 국립현대미술관 상처 물방울 화가 현대미술 — ‘Untitled’, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

don’t-miss viewing points

unpublished drawings: Discover the source of the droplets in these 11 drawings from his New York years, which depict the transformation of guts and wounds into droplets.
the Meaning of Yellow: The color yellow symbolizes life in the midst of devastation, and the artist’s determination to transform pain into beauty.
the ‘Puncture Gate‘ series: A late series of paintings depicting droplets on the punctures he learned from his grandfather as a child, showing the ‘return’ of the artist’s life and art. on view for the first time in this exhibition.
archive Space: A recreation of the artist’s Parisian studio and a video of his upbringing bring us closer to his life.

the exhibition is organized into four sections following his life: ‘Wounds’, ‘Phenomena’, ‘Drip’, and ‘Regression’. as you follow in the footsteps of a master who transformed the trauma of war into art and built a world of his own by exploring a single subject throughout his life, you will feel the deep resonance of each glittering drop of water.

frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. when and where is the exhibition?

A. It will be held from August 22 to December 21, 2025 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (Exhibition Rooms 6, 7, and 8).

Q. what kind of artist is Kim Chang-yeol?

A. He is a master of Korean contemporary abstract art who was born in 1929 in South Pyongan Province and lived through the Korean War. along with Kim Hwan-ki, Park Seobo, and Lee Woo-hwan, he is one of the leading figures in Korean art and is known for his exploration of a single subject, “water droplets,” for over 50 years.

Q. do you have any tips for better understanding the exhibition?

A. Rather than simply admiring the realistic depictions of water droplets, we recommend thinking about what they mean in the artist’s life (war wounds, tears, purification, regression, etc.). Follow the evolution of the works as you read the descriptions in each section.