KIM YOUNG GIL
Kim Young Gil was born in 1940 while his Korean family was seeking refuge in Jilin province, China. His Christian family fled from Korea under Japanese colonization as they were forced to visit Shinto shrines to worship Japanese spirits.
After Korea became independent, his family returned to Korea, and he later entered Hongik University to study Visual Arts. In his school years, he won the first prize at the Sydney International Art Contest with a painting titled "Upper Room". This incident had a great impact on his life as he later decided to devote his talent only to draw Christian paintings.
He served as an exchange professor at the University of Connecticut, USA and at the College of Art, Osaka University, Japan, then served as a professor of the College of Art at Pusan National University, Korea. He executed a wall painting "Jesus Washing the Feet of His Disciples" at the Osaka Church. He also contributed to the construction of the memorial building for the martyrdom of Pastor Son YangWon and executed 68 paintings there.
He was granted the honorary citizenship of the city of New Britain, Connecticut, and of Los Angeles, California.
In his forties, along with his wife, Min Haeng Yang, he opened up his home to people with physical and/or psychological disabilities; his house was named "House of Salt".
Kim Young Gil suffered from high blood pressure in his later life, and died of Parkinson's disease in 2008.
Career
* Served as professor of the College of Art at the Pusan National University in Korea
* Served as exchange professor at the University of Connecticut, USA and at the College of Art, Osaka University, Japan
* Led more than 2000 seminars
* Had over 30 inviting exhibitions in Harvard, Yale and Columbia University
* Was the invited author at the National Contemporary Art Museum (1984) in Korea
* Participated 12 times in the National Art Contest (Korea)
* Awarded the First Winner of the Traffic Safety Poster Contest in Korea
* Awarded the First Prize at the Korean Artist Association
* Awarded the First Prize at the Sydney International Art Contest
* Awarded the First Prize at the New York Art Festival
* Awarded the Winner of the Korean Christian Art Prize
* Chosen as the Artist of New Britain Artists Association (1981)
* Granted the honorary citizenship of the city of New Britain, Connecticut and Los Angeles, California
* Created 8 pictures commissioned by President Park (Korea)
* Executed a wall painting at the Osaka Church (Jesus Christ washing the feet of His disciples)
* Contributed to the construction of the Memorial Building for the Martyrdom of Pastor Son YangWon and executed 68 paintings
Publications
* The Book of Holy Pictures (Jesus Christ, the Secret of God)
* Time to Wake up from Sleeping (Seoul, Law-Culture Publishing Co.)
* Spiritual Fasting (Seoul, Law-Culture Publishing Co.)
* The Secret of the Bible Hidden since the Creation (Seoul, Law-Culture Publishing Co.)
* The Preaching Book of Holy Picture I, II, III, and IV
* Jesus Christ, the Secret of God (The Holy Picture Book for the Memorial Building of Pastor Son YangWon)
* The Point of View for the Bible
* The Secret of 666
* The Spiritual World of the Holy Picture (articles 1 to 5)
* The Secrets of the Bible Hidden since the Creation (articles 6 to 10)
* The Spiritual Flood: the Time of Noah, the Coming of Jesus Christ and the End of the World (articles 11 to 18)
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