Kim Hyunsik was born in Sancheong, South Korea in 1965. He received a bachelor's degree in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Hongik University in Seoul. Hyunsik has adopted the monochrome painting technique, which is the foundation of early Korean contemporary art, and has set himself the goal of extending the course of contemporary art history by creating new meanings and forms of painting. He was deeply influenced by the silent paintings of Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007), the extraordinary aesthetics developed by two masters of Abstract Expressionist painting, Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Agness Martin (1912-2004), and the white space of Chinese master Ni Zan (1301-1374). Opened in 1988 in Seoul and since then represented by Hakgojae Gallery, Korea's longest-established gallery that pioneered the Korean art market and aims to bring together the past and the future, Hyunsik's works include vibrant, monochrome color fields that offer a modern interpretation of traditional Korean and East Asian painting, as well as hyper-realistic images of the backs of women's heads and 'trompe l'oeil' waterfall landscapes.
In addition to Korea, Hyunsik has held solo exhibitions in countries around the world, including Germany, Belgium, China, France, France and the UK, as well as many group exhibitions. Hyunsik's works have also been exhibited at prestigious international art fairs. These include Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul, Korea (2014), Busan Biennale, Busan, Korea (2012), Galerie Orem, Paris, France (2010), Galerie von Braunbehrens, Munich, Germany (2009). The artist was awarded the 'Korea Tomorrow' prize in 2014.
Kim Hyunsik lives and works in Ulsan, Korea.