That playful sense of disruption runs through Kim’s wider approach to painting. She combines meticulous technique with absurd compositions, unexpected changes of scale, unusual creatures, and details that reward a closer look. Her recent work also draws on the visual language of European still-life painting, particularly its treatment of light, liquids, reflections, and optical illusion. Alongside her recurring feline imagery, these elements create paintings that can appear calm and beautifully composed at first, only to reveal something much stranger underneath.
Now, take a closer look at Minyoung Kim’s quirky cat paintings and surreal still lifes, where a seemingly innocent scene can hide a mischievous paw, an unsettling gaze, or one wonderfully strange detail.
