Say it with flowers

In poetry, a flower is often used as a metaphor for woman. The artworks of Kim Jung Man show that the same idea can also be expressed via photos.

Kim's exhibition opened at the Pyo Gallery Beijing last week. This is the first time the top South Korean photographer is holding a solo show in China.

Up to 44 photos are on display, against a simple background in primary colors - red and white for instance - each of them enlarged to a height of 1.2 m.

"I treat a flower like an elegant woman, to be more specific, it is like a woman's womb," the 54-year-old says.

The artist chooses common flowers such as carnations, orchids and lotus. "I like common flowers. My job is to make them look more beautiful and special," he says.

After choosing a flower, he focuses his camera close to it to create his own frame. Despite being an experienced photographer, he takes more than 400 photos on average before picking his favorite one.

"There is no secret to taking a perfect photo. You must learn how to live with your failures, and keep practicing," Kim says. "Photographing is not just about talents, it's about desire."

Kim went to France to study painting in the early 1970s. One day, he was helping his friend develop some photos, and was fascinated to see how quickly the picture showed up, while it took more than two months for him to paint one. So, he changed his major to photography.

The subjects Kim has photographed range from human portraits and animals to mountains and deserts.

"For me, the camera is a beautiful tool of communication. It records the people I meet, the landscapes I see and the events I have just attended," he says.

Nearly two decades ago, the photographer paid his first visit to Beijing, and took a number of photos of the streets, which he says, were poor but so warm and beautiful. He staged an exhibition of his Beijing photos to resounding success back in the South Korea, as people there then knew little about China.

Kim says he has a special connection with Beijing and is looking forward to see how his exhibition will be received. "I am not afraid of my show being successful or not, but I am curious about how the Chinese will react to my artworks."

The exhibition will close on March 31.

(China Daily 03/15/2008 page6)