On raw canvases treated with gesso and Japanese bookbinding glue, Min applies a unique cross-cultural blend of materials, such as Western oils, Korean pigments, and hand-embroidered beads, that address his transition from South Korea to the U.S. and challenge the boundaries of painting and craft. These textural compositions, inspired by historical European paintings and East Asian textiles, evoke Min’s “queer utopia,” underpinned by the repressed histories and urban legends of Los Angeles. Depictions of animals such as lions, peacocks, and moths, adorned with gems and facing their demise, serve as allegories for the gentrification of local queer Asian hubs and as anthropomorphic symbols of “cruisers” or gay sex workers, whose lives are often at risk in their profession. While Min’s portrayals of male figures wading in water also allude to the tragic homophobic murders and disappearances of transgender people at a nearby lake, his centering of intimate, muscular men of color brings visibility to queer communities and offers new conceptions of masculinity, sexuality, and race.
Ken Gun Min
'The vastness is bearable only through love'
Epic in their explosive color yet confined within painted frames, the large-scale mixed-media paintings of Ken Gun Min capture the paradoxes of our beautifully complex world, where utopian idealism collides with dystopian realities. Through lush landscapes and tender portraits, Min orchestrates sublime scenes — both real and imagined — that draw from his experiences as a queer Korean immigrant in the U.S. Focusing on the emotion of his parafictional stories, Min showcases the moment of beauty before destruction, stirring feelings of uneasiness and awe. Ultimately, his works highlight the importance of seeing life in its entirety and remind viewers to offer gentleness to all journeying through this vast existence.
Epic in their explosive color yet confined within painted frames, the large-scale mixed-media paintings of Ken Gun Min capture the paradoxes of our beautifully complex world, where utopian idealism collides with dystopian realities. Through lush landscapes and tender portraits, Min orchestrates sublime scenes — both real and imagined — that draw from his experiences as a queer Korean immigrant in the U.S. Focusing on the emotion of his parafictional stories, Min showcases the moment of beauty before destruction, stirring feelings of uneasiness and awe. Ultimately, his works highlight the importance of seeing life in its entirety and remind viewers to offer gentleness to all journeying through this vast existence.
About the artist
Ken Gun Min (b. 1976, Seoul, South Korea; lives and works in Los Angeles) studied Western painting and art history and theory at Hongik University in Seoul and received his M.F.A. from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Solo exhibitions include The Lost Paradise, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver; Sweet Discipline from Koreatown, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles; Silverlake Dog Park, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles; Wounded Man, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, K Contemporary, Denver; and Becoming Palm Tree, Gae Po Project Space, Seoul. Min’s work has also been featured in group exhibitions including Strings of Desire, Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles; i know you are, but what am i? (De)Framing Identity and the Body, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City; Sparkle In, Fade Out, Torrance Art Museum, Ca.; People of the Otherworld: Ken Kiff in Dialogue, Albertz Benda, New York; Who Is Your Master?, 1969 Gallery, New York; Bozomag: Bozo Family Hoedown, M+B, Los Angeles; and 36 Paintings, Harper’s East Hampton, N.Y. A Hopper Prize finalist, Min has received awards from Direktorenhaus, Berlin, and the Kellogg Foundation, New York. His work has been published by Artnet, Artsy, Hyperallergic, The Art Newspaper, Wallpaper*, and Frieze.
Credits
The vastness is bearable only through love is organized by SCAD Museum of Art assistant curator Haley Clouser and presented as part of SCAD deFINE ART 2025.
