Young Traveler Shares Her Adventures on Canvas

Painter Kim Mul-gil captures on canvas her own impressions of the things she encounters.

Advertisement

She traveled 46 countries across five continents for nearly two years between 2011 and 2013. Then she published a book about her experience during her trip and now spends her time sharing her adventures with people, believing that "Paintings can bring comfort and happiness to them once they open their minds".

"After participating in an international work camp when I was in college, I started dreaming of traveling abroad. I scraped together whatever money I could, juggling several part-time jobs. I even painted murals for extra cash", she recalled. "I saved up W25 million, and I was finally able to hit the road at the age of 24 (US$1=W1,115)".

When she started her journey, Kim had no special plans or specific itinerary. "I left Korea with just two plane tickets in my hand. One was a ticket to somewhere in Asia, and the other was from there to Africa. I just picked destinations on a whim. I usually headed for a place after somebody recommended it. If I didn't like it, I left", she said. "For the first three months from December 2011, I roamed around Asian countries including India, Nepal and Thailand. Then I flew to Africa, before heading to Europe and Latin America".

Her last stop was the U.S. She returned home in October 2013 after nearly two years overseas.

She made sketches for over 400 paintings while traveling, which came out in a book later. "I didn't plan to publish a book, but I was able to do so after a blog, which I ran to keep a record of my trip and keep in touch with my family and friends, caught the eye of a publisher by chance", Kim said. "Publishing the book gave me a chance to share my experience with other people. Now I'm busy with a rush of requests for lectures and exhibitions".

"Most of my drawings are watercolors because I prefer them, but it doesn't define my style. I just try to give form to what I feel. One thing I can say about my paintings is that I'm not interested in simply portraying things as they look. I often apply my imagination and try to put what I see in my mind into my paintings", she said.

Asked what led her to become a painter, Kim said, "I've liked to draw since I was a kid. The first thing I did when I got home from school was turn on the television and draw animated characters in front of it. I've never dreamed of working any job other than painting".

"There were many challenges during the long journey. At one point I lost my belongings and felt like going home. Nevertheless, I was able to keep going because many people helped me whenever I was in trouble or faced difficulties. If I'd given up, I would have regretted it. It was an arduous journey, but I couldn't give up partway through", she said.

Will she head out on another round-the-world trip? "Probably not. It's true that unfamiliar places are inspiring. But I don't need to travel to stir my imagination. I'm more of a painter than a travel writer. For me, travel was part of the process of becoming a painter", Kim said.