Gallery Afternoon is pleased to present《𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝘆》a solo exhibition by Seulgi Kim, on view from November 14 to December 6.

In this exhibition, Kim offers calm blue toned scenes where her figures drift between childhood and adulthood. Quietly absorbed in their own worlds, they shift between cool distance and gentle warmth, revealing the mixed emotions that come with growing up, including uncertainty, solitude, and a soft but steady sense of strength.

Kim’s childhood memories of living on an island flow naturally into her recurring imagery of the sea, waves, and water. For the artist, the sea is not just a backdrop but a space where emotions and voices intertwine.

Water moves in different ways, sometimes soft and sometimes rough, becoming both a companion and a challenge. This duality reflects ideas inspired by Hemingway’s 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙡𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖. In the paintings, the characters meet their waves in their own ways. Some move alone, while others lean on one another.

Small gestures and repeated objects capture feelings that shift between fear and courage, loneliness and connection. They cross the sea, light small flames, dry their wet bags, and quietly prepare for the next journey, offering scenes that may recall moments from the viewer’s own memories.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝘆 is a gentle travel diary, a warm record of moving through constant waves and finding small forms of strength along the way.