South Koren artist Siwon Ghim brings her unique abstract paintings to new pastures while making her debut in the Gulf.
Born and raised in Seoul, where art schools and nightlife mingle with K-pop street performers, Ghim left South Korea for the Slade School of Fine Art in London before turning to abstract work, drawing inspiration from a conservative upbringing.
“I had to hide my feelings growing up, looking calm and okay with whatever happened. My paintings do the opposite,” she tells The National of her Abu Dhabi exhibition. "They reveal some secrets and hidden facts."
Her latest works are showcased at the Sense of Living exhibition, which opened at the Korean Cultural Centre at Yas Creative Hub last month.
The series of abstract pieces date from 2018 to this summer, taking viewers through the artist’s personal struggles of daily life and relationships, as well as navigating between the UK and South Korea.
“It was such a scary thing to do because I felt at times I was splashing meaningless gestures on a canvas,” she says. "I had no idea where to start or what to do. So the paintings at the time were pure chaos."
The artist mixes her own paints and builds her own canvas with material from Seoul’s Dongdaemun market, and says the process of creating each work in her studio – where "time stops" – can take several months.
The exhibition features works of various sizes and colour schemes, but Ghim says she is particularly attached to the centrepiece Whatever You Wish. It is a large, bright painting inspired by her final project at Slade, where the cultural differences between the UK and South Korea were keenly felt.
"The final project was about the Asian dinner table," she says. "In South Korea, we always have a lot of side dishes, but in the UK it's just one plate, and the outline of it made me think of the borders I drew between myself and other people – the distance.
"I was trying to break down these barriers, so I wanted to make it very abstract. Everything is mixed, and I intentionally chose transparent layers. It was more experimental painting, showing where I want to go in the future."
Speaking with participants at a workshop at the centre, Ghim asks students to pay attention to both their emotions and their physical impact on the body, which she says has been cathartic for her over the years.
“I urge people to be more direct with what they are feeling," she says. "We are all the same in having feelings because we are all human. I hope people will become more in tune with what they are feeling and focus on it.”
Ghim has displayed work in several galleries across Seoul and was selected as this year's Young Korean Artist at the Lee & Bae gallery in Busan. Her first international exhibition was held in the Turkish capital of Ankara in January.
She now hopes to return to London, but her first – and successful – trip to the UAE has left her with a positive impression of the Middle East and its art scene.
“I want to have more opportunities to show my work in the Middle East," she adds. "I have heard a lot about Qatar and their artisans, and I'm really curious about the museums and art galleries there. I have been given a lot of good influence in the UAE.
"I really want to see the heritage in Oman, where everything begins."
Several of her pieces are also set to be shown at Abu Dhabi Art, held at Manarat Al Saadiyat this November.
Ghim says she is pleasantly surprised by the reaction to her collection.
"My art is about expressing my feelings," she adds. "Each painting tells the story of a difficulty in my life – not the full story, but a part. I think people understand my story because they have those kind of experiences in their lives too."
The Sense of Living is on until August 19 at the Korean Cultural Centre on Yas Island
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
Getting%20there%20
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
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Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
THREE
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
