Born and raised in South Korea, Young Kim is an emerging artist whose practice is shaped by a lifelong pull toward drawing and the expressive potential of the human form. Although his early talent was recognized by teachers who encouraged him to pursue art, circumstances led him to follow a different path—studying English literature, creating cartoons for churches, building a career in photography, and later working as a programmer. Yet art remained an undercurrent, returning to him again and again.

Young rediscovered painting in 2021, when a small set of oil paints—gifted by his children—reopened a door he had once closed. Self-taught and deeply self-driven, he began to study the works of John Singer Sargent and Egon Schiele, two artists whose contrasting approaches profoundly shaped his voice. From Sargent, he absorbed an appreciation for elegance, color, and the subtlety of light. From Schiele, he found permission to explore psychological depth, bold lines, and the emotional truths beneath the surface.

Today, Young works in oil, acrylic, ink, paper collage, and mixed media on paper, wood panel, and canvas. His figures often emerge from serpentine lines, abrupt turns, and unexpected intersections—forms that reveal both vulnerability and tension. His palette ranges from quiet to visceral, holding space for the complexity of human experience.

Young’s art reflects a return to a long-delayed dream, shaped by the richness of his influences and the resilience of beginning again. His work continues to evolve as he explores the delicate meeting point between elegance and raw expression, seeking not only to portray what is seen, but what is felt.