Kim Dong-sung (Illustrator)
| Korean spelling | |
|---|---|
| Hangeul | 김동성 |
|
Revised Romanization |
Gim Dong-seong |
|
McCune- Reischauer |
Kim Tongsŏng |
Kim Dong-sung (also Kim Dong-seong; * 1970 in Busan ) is a South Korean painter and illustrator. The book he illustrated, Eomma Majung (2004; German When comes Mama? - A picture book from Korea , 2007) has received numerous awards in South Korea, referred to as a “wonder book” by the FAZ and nominated for the German Youth Literature Prize in 2008. In addition to Eomma Majung , Kim illustrated many other picture books. He lives in Seoul.
life and work
Kim majored in Oriental Painting at Hongik University in Seoul .
He made his debut as an illustrator of picture books with Samchongwa Hamkke Jajeongeo Yeohaeng (1998, German translation of the title: My bicycle tours with my uncle ). The book tells the story of Seon-mi and her uncle who ride bicycles into town. On the way, her uncle shows her the places where rice fields, fields and streams used to be. The city is now full of houses and streets. He tells her how blissfully he played as a child, so Seon-mi would like to play as happily as her uncle. Suddenly their bicycles steer in the direction where their uncle used to play. The two now catch crayfish and bake potatoes, and promise not to tell anyone about their experience. Samchongwa Hamkke Jajeongeo Yeohaeng is a book about the loss of untouched nature, as well as the loss of memories caused by the ruthless exploitation of nature.
Another book illustrated by Kim is Binali Dal-ine Jib (2001, German translation of the title: Dal from Binari ). At the center of this book are the dog Dal and a priest, both of which exist in real life.
Kim's book Eomma Majung is based on the story of Lee Tae-jun , one of the most popular Korean authors, first published in a Korean newspaper in 1938 . When is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea is set in Korea in the 1930s, a time of great poverty and Japanese occupation of the country. It is drawn on han-ji , traditional Korean paper, using traditional muck-sun techniques.
With Nalji Moshaneun Bandisbul-i (2007, German translation of the title: The wingless glowworm ), Kim illustrated the story of a glowworm that, despite its stunted wings and its inability to fly, has friends who take care of it.
The books illustrated by Kim have been translated into four languages (German, English, French, Spanish).
About the process of illustrating, Kim says:
"First, I think about the relationship between the text and the illustration. Illustration can offer something greater than the text, enhance it, or depict exactly what it says. Sometimes, there are texts that do not need illustrations because the text says it all. [...] For the artists, good texts leave holes here and there for the pictures to fill. In picture books, sometimes the picture plays the main role and the text plays the supporting role, or vice versa. So an illustrator has to understand the text and contribute his own ideas in the illustration. "
In addition to his work as a painter and illustrator, Kim also works in advertising, cartoon and animation.
In 2014 he was a member of the jury for the award The Extraordinary Book of the children and youth program of the Berlin International Literature Festival .
Kim lives in Seoul with his wife and son.
Press review
Onŭl i (2003)
“This literary fairy tale focuses on a little orphan girl called Today, who starts searching for her parents. She meets a wise old woman who sends her on a long and adventurous journey during which she encounters many different creatures (man, tree, snake, fairy). Although they themselves are in need of some help, they readily help the girl. Little Today promises to return their favors on her way back. With an astonishing determination, the girl braves any barriers (such as river and mountain), the frightening guardian of the gate, and finally finds her parents. When she returns, she keeps her promise to her helpers. The illustrations are full of depth and form a link between the traditional Korean art of painting and modern ink- and water-color drawings. "
Eomma Majung (2004) / When is Mama Coming? - A picture book from Korea (2007)
“You have to know that, otherwise the end of the story will be very sad while it should be very happy. And nobody should put this wonder book down in a deadly sad state, because it is far too beautiful for that. Kim draws as succinctly as Lee writes, but again and again puts silent pictures between Lee's sentences: wonderful watercolored dream visions of the tram that stand next to grandiose sketches of those waiting at the stop. Then again there is a double-sided tableau of the city, and finally the snow comes thickly covering the houses under the green winter sun. "
“A child is waiting for his mother at the tram stop. Nothing more happens in this Korean picture book. The enchantingly delicate and yet extremely powerful images are about waiting. Light and mood change, and so time goes by. Seoul around 1938 - that is a strange world, but the loneliness of the child among all the hasty, laden adults is the same everywhere in the world. "
“Generations of readers in Korea have grown up with Lee Tae-Jun's children's story. The text from 1938 is now available in German translation. The delicately colored watercolors in traditional Korean techniques by Kim Dong-Seong are beguilingly beautiful; In them, lost in a dream, waiting becomes perceptible as an existential human experience. The pictures turn into a veritable waiting séance. At the same time, the illustrator gives the story an unheard of lightness and lucidity with the brilliant color pages. "
"This simple tale about a child's fears comes alive through the imaginative illustrations - delicate sepia drawings, some of which are colored in tender shades of green and brown."
Chaeggwa Nonineun Jib (2009)
"Unlike most historical novels, this original story of a boy living in the midst of the Yi Dynasty’s suppression of Catholicism in the 19th century is not only instructive and edifying, but also touching. Moonjang's father makes a living copying books, including prohibited Catholic doctrines. Moonjang delivers the manuscripts both to noble scholars and members of other classes, such as merchants and bar maids. The Western philosophy of egalitarianism spreads rapidly and leads to social turmoil. The writer vividly describes the lifestyles and ideologies of the society at large as well as of individuals living during this historically rich period, all the while never losing the protagonist's perspective. The brilliant illustrations by renowned artist Tong-sung Kim accompany the text and help transport readers back to the era. "
bibliography
| Korean language original edition | German language first translation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1998: Samchongwa Hamkke Jajeongeo Yeohaeng (in Korean script: 삼촌 과 함께 자전거 여행 ), Chae In-sun (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Jaimimage ( Paju ), 46 pages, ISBN 978-8986565515 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: My bicycle tours with my uncle Book cover , sample pages 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 of the original South Korean edition |
|
| 2001: Binali Dal-ine Jib (in Korean script: 비나리 달 이네 집 ), Kwon Jeong-saeng (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Little Mountain, 59 pages, ISBN 978-8989646006 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: Dal from Binari Book cover , sample pages 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20, and 21 of the South Korean original edition |
|
| 2001: Meali (in Korean script: 메아리 ), Lee Ju-hong (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Gilbut ( Paju ), 36 pages, ISBN 978-8986621785 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: Echo Book cover , sample pages 1 and 2 of the South Korean edition |
|
| 2001: Haneulgil (in Korean script: 하늘 길 ), Yi Mun (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: (), 167 pages, ISBN 978-8987721392 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: Himmelsstrasse Book preview (in Korean) |
|
| 2003: Onŭl i , Ho Sang-cho (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Ungjin Datk'ŏm, ISBN 978-8901040141 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: My name is today |
|
| 2003: Jongmyo Neoguline , (in Korean script: 종묘 너구리 네 ), Yi sang-gyo (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Daekyochulpan ( Seoul ), 128 pages, ISBN 978-8939515864 | Picture book
not published in German translation Book cover of the South Korean edition |
|
| 2004: Eomma Majung (in Korean script: 엄마 마중 ), Sonyunhangil (Seoul), Lee Tae-Jun (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Hangilsa ( Paju ), 38 pages, ISBN 978-8935657124 | 2007: when is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea , Andreas Schirmer (translation from Korean), publisher: Baobab im NordSüd Verlag (Zurich), 42 pages, ISBN 978-3314015359 | Picture book
German-language first edition out of print second German-language edition 2011 at Baobab Books (Basel, ISBN 978-3905804232 ) published in English under the title Waiting for Mama and Waiting for Mummy published in French under the title En attendant Maman complete book (English language edition; PDF; 2.7 MB) Lesson unit for the book (in English; PDF; 183 kB) Book flyer (in English; PDF; 542 kB) |
| 2005: Naiting-Geil (in Korean script: 나이팅게일 ), Hans Christian Andersen (author of the fairy tale The Emperor's Nightingale based on the book ), Kim Su-jung (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), Publisher: Woongjin ThinkBig ( Paju ), 42 pages, ISBN 978-8901049885 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: Nachtigall Book cover , sample pages 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 of the South Korean edition |
|
| 2005: Gansong Seonsaengnim-i Dasi Chaj-eun Uli Munhwayusan Iyagi (in Korean script: 간송 선생님 이 다시 찾은 우리 문화 유산 이야기 ), Han Sang-nam (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), 160 pages, publisher: Saemteo ( Seoul ), ISBN 978-8946416185 | not published in German translation
Book cover of the South Korean edition |
|
| 2007: Nalji Moshaneun Bandisbul-i (in Korean script: 날지 못하는 반딧불이 ), Akemi Ozawa (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), 63 pages, ISBN 978-8989863526 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: The wingless glow worm |
|
| 2008: Deulkkoch Ai (in Korean script: 들꽃 아이 ), Lim Gil-taek (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Gilbut ( Paju ), 48 pages, ISBN 978-8955820829 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: Das Wildblumen-Kind Book cover , sample pages 1 , 2 and 3 of the South Korean edition |
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| 2008: Kkochsin (in Korean script: 꽃신 ), Kim Soyon (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Bluebird Child ( Paju ), 155 pages, ISBN 978-8961551045 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: flower shoes Book cover and sample page 1 of the South Korean edition |
|
| 2009: Chaeggwa Nonineun Jib (in Korean script: 책 과 노니는 집 ), Lee Young-seo (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Munhakdongne ( Paju ), 192 pages, ISBN 978-8954607346 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: The house in which the books live Book cover , page examples 1 , 2 and 3 of the South Korean edition |
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| 2010: Soli Eobsneun Aideul (in Korean script: 소리 없는 아이들 ), Hwang Seon-mi (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), publisher: Woongjin ThinkBig ( Paju ), 180 pages, ISBN 978-8901106175 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: Stille Kinder Book cover of the South Korean edition |
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| 2012: Puleun Gae Jangbalt (in Korean script: 푸른 개 장발 ), Hwang Seon-mi (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), 199 pages, publisher: Woongjin ThinkBig ( Paju ), ISBN 978-8901121208 | Picture book
not published in German translation German translation of the title: The long-haired blue dog Book cover , sample pages 1 , 2 and 3 of the South Korean edition |
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| 2013: Chaegbo (in Korean script: 책보 ), Yi Chun-hui (text), Kim Dong-sung (illustration), 52 pages, publisher: Safari, ISBN 979-1155091241 | Picture book
not published in German translation Book cover , sample pages 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 of the South Korean edition |
Nominations and Awards
| year | book | Nomination / award |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Onŭl i | White Raven 2005 |
| 2006 | Eomma Majung / When is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea | White Raven 2006 |
| 2007 | Eomma Majung / When is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea | The best 7 books for young readers of Deutschlandfunk in November |
| 2008 | Eomma Majung / When is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea | Nomination for the German Youth Literature Prize in the picture book category |
| 2009 | Chaeggwa Nonineun Jib | White Raven 2009 |
| unknown | Eomma Majung / When is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea | Main prize of the Baeksang Publishing Award |
| unknown | Eomma Majung / When is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea | Awarded Book of the Year by the three most important national newspapers in South Korea |
| unknown | Eomma Majung / When is mom coming? - A picture book from Korea | Awarded Book of the Month by the South Korean Publishers Association |
Web links
- Kim Dong-sung's blog (in Korean)
swell
- ↑ a b The great waiting: A wonderful Korean picture book , in: FAZ from September 15, 2007, No. 215, p. 34
- ↑ a b When is mom coming? , on: www.djlp.jugendliteratur.org (2008)
- ↑ To Evolving Vision - Children's Book Illustrator Kim Dong-sung ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , in: List - Books from Korea , Special Edition 2011, pp. 56–58.
- ↑ a b Onŭl i , on: www.ijb.de
- ↑ Quick tips , in: NZZ from February 6, 2008
- ↑ When is mom coming? , on: www.djlp.jugendliteratur.org (2013)
- ↑ a b Eomma Majung , on: www.ijb.de
- ↑ a b Chaeggwa Nonineun Jib , on: www.ijb.de
- ↑ The best 7 books for young readers on dradio.de from November 3, 2007
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kim, Dong-sung |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 김동성 (Korean, Hangeul); Gim, Dong-seong (Revised Romanization); Kim, Tongsŏng (McCune-Reischauer); Kim, Dong-seong (alternative transcription) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | South Korean illustrator |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1970 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Busan |