Jung Han Kim is a Korean American painter based in Northern California whose vibrant landscapes and urban scenes blend abstraction, symbolism, and realism.

Jung Han Kim’s work explores the intersection of external environment and internal emotion. Known for his expressive use of color, layered textures, and luminous contrasts, his paintings offer a poetic fusion of representational and impressionistic styles. From sweeping California landscapes to dynamic cityscapes, Kim creates scenes that are both personal and universal—rich in atmosphere, depth, and vitality.

Born in Seoul, Korea, Kim earned his Master of Arts Cum Laude in Seoul and then received a second master’s degree at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco where he later taught for many years. His teachings and artistic practice reflect a deep commitment to the exploration of color, light, and mood.

Kim has exhibited widely and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Salon International Award from the International Museum of Contemporary Masters (2006). His work is found in private and corporate collections across the United States, where it continues to resonate for its dynamic balance of form, feeling, and meaning.

Artist Statement: Contemporary Myth

In my new series Contemporary Myth, I explore how ancient myths still live within the fast rhythm of modern life—how they shape the spirit of our time. My paintings mix the real and the imagined, as if myth has merged into reality to form new stories. Ancient symbols become scenes from today’s cities. Shapes and figures appear and fade through layers of paint and motion, showing that myth is not only from the past but still moves within us, consciously and unconsciously, shaping how we see and tell our own stories.

My work naturally sits between realism and abstraction, but belongs fully to neither—just as my life began in Seoul and continues in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each painting grows from instinct, one mark leading to another, so that images rise and fall like memories. Light, movement, and texture reveal change. The energy that flows through the brushstrokes, colors, and values connects and weaves them together, giving the surface a pulse and turning quiet observation into a living experience. Within these layered spaces, viewers’ own memories and imaginations meet.

I do not paint myths to explain them. I paint to understand how they still live and breathe today—in our streets and in our minds. These places become stages where human emotions repeat in new forms, shaping the spirit of our age. Contemporary Myth invites viewers to find their own stories in the space between what is seen and what is imagined.