On the Expanded Artistic Influence Through ‘Shin-sa (神思)’

Yoo Mi-kyung (Ph.D. in Chinese Art History)

One of the most enduring perspectives shaping the work of Bae Jimin has been the theme of life. For him, the act of expressing life is grounded in a philosophical commitment to pure experience and existential sensibility—where emotional modes, personally experienced and shared, become the most authentic subject matter.

Many of his most memorable works are deeply rooted in his time in Busan, where the cityscape itself has become both a space of existential emotion and an extension of his identity. In his ink paintings, the raw scent of life, the humid atmosphere, the endless spreading forms blooming like salt crystals, and each honest, unrestrained brushstroke reflect sensibilities nurtured in his hometown.

In the fall of last year, Professor Zhou Guobin of Shanghai University noted that Bae’s works speak of his life through subjects steeped in sincere, lived experience—remarking, “Isn’t that precisely your art?”

Indeed, Bae’s work cannot be easily separated from Busan. Whether moving from brief moments of emotion to daily life, or from the conscious mind to the threshold of the unconscious, from the ordinary in nature to abstract reflection—Busan and his work remain intertwined.

Now, however, Bae Jimin stands at a point where a new leap is needed—an expansion of existential emotion into a broader artistic influence.

No artist avoids seeking change, but the quality of that transformation—whether essential or merely formal—sharply defines the artistic integrity of the work. Well aware of this distinction, Bae has long wrestled with the inner tension and fear surrounding the ink medium.

At this crossroads, the philosophical insights of Liu Xie (劉勰), a literatus of China’s Southern Dynasties, offer Bae valuable guidance.

The ancients once said:

“Though the body may dwell by the rivers or seas, the mind lingers beneath the gates of the palace.”

This speaks to the concept of ‘Shin-sa (神思)’—the divine or inspired thought, denoting the limitless possibilities of artistic imagination.

Today, Bae’s work calls for the free movement of ‘Shin-sa’—a shift of lived experience and sensibility into new dimensions, conveyed naturally through the language of ink. It is time to move beyond the spatial and formal confines of daily life and allow the work to travel freely between levels of consciousness.

Within the pieces presented in this exhibition, one can sense a stirring of new artistic boundaries within the artist’s heart. Though the scale of his lived environment may remain unchanged, his intent to transcend existential limits in dialogue with his subjects is vividly clear.

In this latest body of work, previously unseen elements—plants, flowers, wind, people, the moon—emerge. These living entities, no longer confined to symbolic roles, reveal their presence simply through the shared premise of life itself.

With each stroke and image, they extend their emotional resonance to the viewer, capable of guiding the heart to unexpected places. What our minds alone could never summon, Bae nurtures into possibility through the transformative power of ink.

One can also feel how arduous it is for an artist to keep the spark of change alive. Yet these efforts reflect how healthily the seeds of pure experience and existential sensibility have matured within Bae Jimin’s life.

In his own words:

“Wherever I found myself, and whatever I faced, I could not let go of the single current that flowed through me.”From this confession, we recognize that his personal form of ‘Shin-sa’ is already in motion