Mongwoo Joseph Kim / Receipt Philosophy AB

20 – 30 dec, 2018 (11 : 00 – 17 : 00)
(gallery) St. Eriksgatan 9 (half space of wbL)

https://ww.facebook.com/wacr99

Mongwoo Joseph Kim Story (2)

written by A Korean art critic, Ho Kim says Joseph Kim

He was devastated in cancer,struggling from debt and making a living in the workroom at the same time. Allthe kinds of pain were given like a package deal. As penniless for buying food,he barely got through the day and headed back home with a cup of 200 won[1]instant coffee from a vending machine. This story of him sounds considerably miserable.


[1]200 wons can be converted to 20 cents.

Happy with a cup of cheapcoffee, Joseph was in pain fighting with cancer and the series of debt, also inextreme poverty. Looking at his sad story, I came to think that I’m quitecontent. At least, I have enough money not to get starved!

    Now that some evaluate him as a prodigy,and his autobiograpy was introduced in newspapers, and some publishers releasedseveral books about him, I’d like to say that I can’t feel greater about himindeed. Ironically, all these starts from a pencil stub, which is as almost the same as a 10 won coin.

Knowing that he would die inany time because his illness got severe in 2002, he told me that he wanted togive me a present but didn’t have anything special to give. Then I’ve found apencil rolling on his desk, so I told him that I’d like to keep it preciously like a gift.

    As soon as I told him the pencil, heengraved “2002 Joseph Kim’s pencil” on the tiny pencil right away. Worn out ofusing too much, grabbing it was almost impossible… He was crazy aboutdrawings and croquis and even a stubby pencil gave him comfort.

After all the years offrustration and darkness, a silver lining began to shine. His health hasrecovered, and his debt has been paid up. And now he is able to pursue hisdream again…. (continue)

*Relative link references :

http://wacr.se/category/creative/exhibition/page/3/


December 18, 2018 at 3:25 am
Category: exhibition