Kyongho Kim is a dentist in Seoul who has assembled about 250 contemporary artworks since buying his first painting six years ago. He began collecting after moving into a suburban home with large white walls and experiencing "a quiet spark of beauty". His first purchase was Byung-Rock Yoon's Scent of Autumn (2008), a hyper-realistic painting of apples. He favors works that "feel honest or a little offbeat" and owns pieces by Hernan Bas, Genieve Figgis and Scott Kahn. His most recent acquisition is Jack Kabangu's Dark Face Painting: Look Into My Eyes (2025). He views collecting as stewardship and seeks to support artists during their development.
Kyongho Kim is a relatively recent convert to the world of contemporary art. But with around 250 works in his collection, you would never guess he bought his first painting only six years ago. As a dentist with a private practice in Seoul for nearly three decades, Kim approaches art collecting as "a way to balance out the fast pace of everyday life and connect with something more lasting".
What was the first work you bought? A painting by Korean artist Byung-Rock Yoon. Scent of Autumn (2008) is a beautiful and vibrant hyper-realistic representation of apples packed in a box. I'm amazed by how much vitality is brought to life by a single piece of art on my bedroom wall. Just seeing those red, ripe apples first thing in the morning refreshes my whole day.
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