Fragments from the life and times of Kim Hyang-an, a modern woman ahead of her time.

Byun Dong-rim married Kim Hwan-ki in 1944 and acquired a new name, Kim Hyang-an.
From then on, the title of Kim Hwan-ki's wife followed her around the world, but Kim Hyang-an traveled to Seoul, Paris, New York, and other countries, leaving behind many writings from the perspective of a woman living in her time, and sometimes as an intellectual.


After Kim Hwan-ki passed away in 1974, Kim Hyang-an left another mark as a museum person by establishing the Hwan-ki Foundation and opening the Hwan-ki Art Museum.
The epic related to this is separated into 『Art Museum Diary』, and in this revised edition, based on 『Mind Under the Moon』 published in 2005, we added about 20 of her essays and published them in chronological order to focus on introducing the life of Kim Hyang-an, a new woman ahead of her time, and her thoughts on the times.

In addition, among the eight books published by Kim Hyang-an between the 1950s and 1990s, images from 『Ssukkkotsaeorok』(1959) and 『Paris』(1962), in which Kim Hwan-gi created the binding and illustrations, were selected and included in the revised edition, and one of Kim Hwan-gi's drawings was used as the inside cover to add more meaning.

On a night when the cold moon shines brightly through the window, I resonate with the thought that someone, without telling me, had secretly told me that hometown is nothing but a place where family is. I don't think I would mind seeing another wrinkle in the mirror tomorrow morning, and I also think that the feeling I had when I saw my grandmother's white hair grow on my head as a child might be similar to the smile of Buddha.

--- From "Heart Under the Moon" from the 1950s and 1960s

Looking back on our past up to today, it is rare to find a female artist who has competed with men and established a family.
In addition to the innate condition of being female, it is also true that our social conditions have always hindered women's development.
Our reality today has opened the way to liberation for women in many ways.
In a sense, this could be seen as forcing some women to sacrifice themselves, but sacrifices during a transitional period are inevitable in any history, and I am rather optimistic about the chaos of this transitional period and have high hopes for the future of our women's world after this transitional period has passed.
--- From "Expecting Newcomers in the 1950s and 1960s"

In Paris, the sun was already starting to set and it was getting chilly, but as we left Paris and headed south, the sun began to rise again, and the sky became blue and white clouds bloomed.
I saw pine trees lined up on a hill covered with white rocks, and a flowing stream with pebbles. Suddenly, I felt like it was a landscape similar to our country. When I got off at the final stop, Nambul Nice, after a short while, it was a hot night, just like midsummer in our country.
The square in front of the station was covered with palm leaves fluttering in the wind, and there were many southern plants, including cacti of strange shapes, and willow-leafed peaches in full bloom lined the streets.
--- From "Nambulgihaeng (Travels to the South and the North) in the 1960s and 1970s, Early Autumn 1957"

I like painting.
Appreciating art is my hobby.
Regardless of the level of my appreciation, I have always thought that any painting that brings me joy when I look at it is a good painting, and that has usually proven to be true.
Mr. T, an art critic I met in Paris, said he didn't like being called a critic and wanted to be called someone who writes stories about art.
I agree with you.
I just want to write stories about the art I like.
--- From "My Favorite Paintings from the 1960s and 1970s"

When I first went to Paris 30 years ago, the thing I envied most about Sign Language were the paperback books.
Books should not be just decorations to be placed on a bookshelf.
It should be a book that can be held in hand and read lightly.
We also said that when we go back, we should make a book like this.
So, when I published 『Ba-ri』 (Paris) in 1962, I insisted on a paperback cover.
The cover is bound in the pink of horse chestnut flowers on top and the blue of the Seine River on the bottom.
--- From "Song of the Marronnier" from the 1980s and 1990s

Not everything you donate to an art museum is accepted.
I hesitated for a long time, anticipating the discomfort I would experience if our museum refused to accept your donation.
But now I have no time to wait or hesitate any longer.
So I wrote a letter.
If you refuse, let's ask another art gallery, another art gallery -.
But unexpectedly, a reply came soon.

--- From "Donating Works to the Pompidou Museum in the 1980s and 1990s"

I took a twelve-hour train, an eight-hour ferry, and another twenty-four-hour train to Tokyo.
Go straight to the Dongdaemun Hospital ward.
I opened one of the rooms in the hospital room with tatami mats and saw Lee Sang lying there.
Open your eyes wide at the sound.
A happy expression moves.
I kneel down next to him and take his hand.
He closes his eyes again as if feeling relieved.
I wasn't sad because I was nervous.
How could I save him? I couldn't believe he was dying.
Sang-sang opens his eyes and closes them again, opening and closing them.

--- From "Holding a Cold Hand"

Kim Hwan-ki is really good at writing letters.
A touching piece of writing that touches the human heart, but sometimes overflows with emotion.
But I didn't reply right away.
Then, another one-sided letter arrived.
I received his letters several times and wrote back to him once, and during that time, we, who had only met once, became close through letters.
When I met him the second time, like N and P, we became quite close.
Why did he only send letters for so long?
It wasn't until much later that I realized why he hadn't been more honest and direct with me for so long.

--- From "A Letter from Sign Language Overflowing with Love"