Kim Jung Gi a South Korean artist specialising in line-drawing and comic book illustration. He studied fine arts at the Dong-Eui University of Busan. Kim Jung Gi served in the military for 2 years during which that time he memorised a huge number of vehicles and weapons that would later often appear in his illustrations. Kim Jung Gi has the innate ability to mentally visualise his pictures before making a single mark. It is hard to believe he does not use any photographic references during the process of his art creation!
1975, born in Goyang-si, South Korea, Kim Jung Gi developed an early age passion for comic books. This began with the first sketchbook he received when he was six years old.
2002, Kim’s released his first publication, Funny Funny in the magazine Young Jump. Several short stories and a few exhibitions later, Kim started to teach manwha (Korean comic book) in various universities and private schools.
2008-2010, Kim collaborated with Seung-Jin Park to draw six volumes for his comic. He began making a name for himself with the popular Naver Webtoon TLT (Tiger the Long Tail), born of his phenomenal drawing and writer Park Sung-jin’s solid storytelling, the comic series was supported by a mania-level fan base.
2011, Kim’s career took a major turn at the Bucheon International Animation Festival where he did a drawing completely from memory without any rough sketches and filling up his entire booth wall. The world was at awe at his genius talents, to see him instinctively and almost effortlessly transfer images from his mind’s database through the tip of his pen. The utter precision and the multilateral understanding of space Kim demonstrated in his unparalleled live drawing was regarded by many to be beyond human.
2012, Kim was invited to Strabulles, an animation festival in Strasbourg, eastern France, which became a trigger for a flurry of invitations for global events. He was invited for the Angouleme International Comics Festival, one of the biggest comics festivals in Europe. Kim’s been going around the globe for solo exhibitions, lectures, drawing shows and book signing events.
2014, Kim twice collaborated with the famous French comic writer, Jean-David Morvan; once for SpyGames, and in 2016 a book illustrating McCurry, NYC, 9/11 is the first published biography of the world famous photographer and journalist Steve McCURRY – his work includes the iconic National Geographic cover of the Afghan Girl with the captivating green eyes – as he witnessed the unforgettable scenes of 9/11 unfold before him.
2015, Kim’s first solo exhibition held at Bastille Design Center in Paris brought in record-breaking visitors, making his first shot in Europe a smashing success.
In 2015, Kim Jung Gi also attempted the Guinness world record of the “longest drawing by an individual for the Fisheye Art”. He worked for 4 days, about 20 hours to create a huge fresque which depicts “living heritage of Penang”.
2018, Kim Jung Gi joins forces with Blizzard and created a massive painting of “The Siege of Lordaeron”, from the video game Warcraft.
2021, Thousands of Kim Jung Gi’s drawings are being exhibited at the Lotte Museum of Art in Seoul and many Live Drawing events are being organized as well.
2022, Kim Jung Gi once again exhibited his freehand drawing in the Amulet_2022 Tiger Exhibition.
