Byron Kim “Drawn to Water”

James Cohan Gallery

This event has ended.

Byron Kim’s new exhibition, Drawn to Water, is now open at our 48 Walker Street gallery and online in our latest Viewing Room through February 19, 2022.

The works in Drawn to Water belong to a new series titled B.Q.O., an abbreviation for Berton, Queequeg, and Odysseus, three key characters from famous oceanic tales: Stanisław Lem’s Solaris, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and Homer’s The Odyssey. Representing various bodies of water—at times placid or treacherous— Kim’s newest paintings reveal an experience of the sublime, by way of observing and submerging oneself in a fluid environment that can feel liberatory or, suddenly, prove overpowering. Collectively, they create a sense of the immersiveness of nature, toggling between the intimately observed experience of the artist and the greater human experience of beholding the world.