Born in 1965, Korean artist Kim Dong Yoo graduated in 1998 from the College of Fine Art, Mokwon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and subsequently pursued his Masters in Fine Arts in Painting in 1990 from the Mokwon University. He is known for appropriating stereotypical images in his work to depict pop culture and icons, as well as subverting and disorientating these subjects by playing on illusions. The pixellation and pop-art concepts of his works are created through a unique and elaborate painting process, where each image consists of multiple individual oil and canvas paintings to create an overall image that fascinates and draws the viewer to examine his works in detail.

Often paying tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood and the pop culture emblems that influenced him his whole life, Korean artist Kim Dong Yoo ingeniously captures the elusive larger-than-life presence of his heroes - encasing their memory in an aesthetic homage. Prodigious works of both embellishment and painstaking detail, his visually striking portraits are created through a base of countless miniature portraits - each and every one hand-painted by the artist himself; defying all common conceptions of digitalization with its manually created intricacies. Further depth is added by the choice of selection of both detailed and overarching portraits. In a witty play on the relationships, gossip and scandals that so define celebrities, Kim Dong Yoo carefully selects pairings of iconic stars and encourages the viewer to draw on their history and explore what connects their placement together - effectively immortalizing what was once their lives. All his depicted icons carry an inherent irony or reference in the relationship between the composing and composed images, creating an enjoyable depth that is intriguing and even reminiscent in its relevance. 

Kim has been exhibiting his art since 1989 and has risen to become a highly acclaimed name in Asian contempoprary art. The artist has had several gallery and museum exhibitions, and many works sold at prestigious auctions, including 'Mao vs. Monroe' sold at Sotheby's London 'Contemporary Art Day Auction' in 2008. His works are collected by various museums across Korea including the Hoam Museum, Kumho Museum of Art, Hanlim Museum, Daejeon Municipal Museum of Art, and the Busan Metropolitan Art Museum.


Selected Collections

National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea

Asian Art in London Mayfair (London)
Postwar Contemporary Art
Art Singapore (Suntec, Singapore)
Asia Top gallery hotel art fair (Tokyo)
30 Jahre Galerie von Braunbehrens (Galerie von Braunbehrens, Munich)
KIAF (Coex, Seoul)
First Steps - New Art From Korea (Art Seasons, Singapore / Beijing)

2007 
Bridge Artfair (Miami/London)
Asian Contemporary Art (Convention center, Hong Kong)
Asian Contemporary Art fair (New york)
Paintings speech (Wooyeon Gallery, Daejeon)
Exhibition of Famous Painter (Kongju National Universty, Konju)
Asian Art in London Mayfair (London)
Art Singapore (Suntec, Singapore)
Art Taipei (Taipei show, Taipei)
KIAF (Coex, Seoul)
Beijing Art Fair (China world trade center, Beijing)
Usual and Art (Lotte Gallery, Daejeon)
Small is beautiful (LEEHWAIK Gallery, Seoul)
2006 
Art Singapore (Suntec, Singapore)
Asian Contemporary Art (Convention center, Hong Kong)
Sign & Image (Ian Gallery, Daejeon)
KIAF (Coex, Seoul)
Best collections (LEEHWAIK Gallery, Seoul)
To go a way (I gong Gallery, Daejeon)

2005 
Asian Contemporary Art (Convention center, Hong Kong)
Paintings speech (Owon Gallery, Daejeon)
Daejeon Art Festival (Daejeon Municipal Museum of Art, Daejeon)
KIAF (Coex, Seoul)
Exhibition of 15 years Ceremony for Kumho Museum of Art (Kumho Museum of Art, Seoul)