Kim Ji-hee's solo exhibition 'The Sacred Gold' is being presented to local audiences as the inaugural commemorative exhibition of New Bond Gallery, newly opened in Shanghai, China. The artist opened the exhibition at New Bond Gallery in Shanghai on the 3rd of this month.

This is Kim's first solo exhibition in China in about two years, following her solo show at China's K11 Art Museum. It is drawing attention as the opening exhibition of a local gallery has been dedicated to a Korean artist's solo show.

■ Around 100 figures from local cultural and arts circles attend opening event

The opening event held on the 7th was attended by around 100 local cultural figures and key guests, including Lei Li, an announcer from China's CCTV, influencer Wang Ayan, and pianist Ruan Yangyang.

Exchange programs linked to the exhibition were also held. On the 6th, the day before the opening, a meet-the-artist event was arranged for VIP customers of China's Chao Shang Bank, and on the 8th, the artist shared her artistic world with students from an international school in Shanghai.

■ Human desire and the finiteness of existence illuminated through gold

The exhibition uses gold as a medium to illuminate human desire, the finiteness of existence, and the relationship between material value and spiritual meaning. Kim Ji-hee has long explored human inner desires and the essence of life using dazzling jewels, decorative figures, and symbolic imagery.

The exhibition title 'The Sacred Gold' embodies human aspirations for wealth, power, beauty, and eternity. The artist interprets gold not merely as a symbol of wealth, but as a representation of recurring human desire amid the flow of time and civilization.

Major works feature oriental symbols reminiscent of royalty, such as head ornaments, phoenixes, peonies, and jewels. Within dazzling imagery, they reveal the paradoxical figure of humans who dream of an eternal golden age yet ultimately live finite lives.

■ Representative series including 'Eternal Golden' presented

The exhibition features the artist's representative series including 'Eternal Golden', 'Sealed Smile', and 'The Fancy Spirit'.

'Eternal Golden' revisits the meanings of possession and loss, attachment and letting go through the contrast of gold tones and empty space. 'Sealed Smile' is a series expressing the complex emotions and inner world hidden behind glamorous exteriors. 'The Fancy Spirit' visualizes humanity's instinctive desires and vitality through mystical animal forms and dynamic colors.

The works are created using traditional Korean paper, natural mineral pigments, and 24K gold leaf. They are characterized by a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional Eastern painting materials and techniques, building a distinctive artistic world through the texture of gold that changes with variations in light.

Huang Tantong, who curated the exhibition, explained in the preface that Kim Ji-hee's works go beyond showcasing the splendor of gold and lead viewers to reflect on human desire and inner nature.

Kim Ji-hee said, "It feels meaningful to participate as a Korean artist in the opening exhibition of a Chinese gallery," adding, "I hope that the essential human energy toward a golden age and the thematic consciousness I have consistently pursued can be conveyed to Chinese audiences as radiant beauty."

■ More than 400 exhibitions at home and abroad... expanding scope of activity

Kim Ji-hee has expanded her range of activities by participating in more than 400 exhibitions at home and abroad. Her work has been featured on the cover of a Korean high school art textbook, and she has collaborated with brands in various fields including fashion and liquor.

This year, she participated in a solo exhibition at 333 Gallery in Taiwan, a museum exhibition in Japan's Kyushu region, and a resort project at the Hilton hotel in Las Vegas, USA. Recently, she presented a premium art book commemorating the 20th anniversary of her debut, compiling her artistic activities to date.

Meanwhile, Kim Ji-hee's Shanghai solo exhibition 'The Sacred Gold' runs at New Bond Gallery until December 17.