Gunbae Kim

Gunbae Kim was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea 1947. Kim’s grandmother first sparked his interest in art by teaching him to draw as a little boy. When Gunbae Kim decided to go to art school, his parents were terribly upset, especially his architect father who had wanted Kim to go into the same field. Kim pursued his passion anyway, and he has become a master of realism in watercolor and oil.

Kim met his wife, artist Jaeryon Ha, while the two works in adjacent studios in South Korea. Kim worked in fine arts and illustration. Ha exhibited frequently and still belongs to pastel and watercolor artist groups there.

In 1995, the couple moved to Central Florida and got involved in the outdoor art show circuit.  Much of the time, they exhibited side by side at festivals in Florida and across the country. Despite having a shared career, their styles, media, and subject matter are quite different.  Ha, who works in oil pastels, describes her style as surreal impressionism. She draws whimsical home-interior scenes, landscapes that are inspired by her travels and still life. Her drawings feature strong strokes of color. Kim, who prefers realism, worked in oils and watercolors. He often painted ballet dancers and musicians because he likes to capture the bright, happy sides of life. For some pieces, he used Orlando Ballet and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra performers as references. Kim’s work has won many awards, including Best in Show at the Lake Mary-Heathrow Festival of the Arts. His work has been shown at the Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney in Orlando.