From April 1st to April 20th, 2026, Muusu Gallery  (3F, Wadam Building, 19-2 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul ) in Insadong presents Unfamiliar Time, Unfamiliar Space, a solo exhibition by artist Kim Ho-bong. 

This showcase delves into the artist’s dual identity as a Korean immigrant in New York, navigating the psychological strata of urban life.

 Kim’s work begins with the tangible reality of Manhattan’s streets, cafes, and subways, but these mundane settings are transformed through memory and emotion into surreal landscapes of the mind. 

Central to this transformation is the recurring figure of Astro Boy (Atom), who serves as the artist’s alter ego and a nostalgic relic of his childhood in Korea.

For Kim, Astro Boy is more than a pop-culture icon; he is a profound metaphor for the immigrant experience.

 Born in a futuristic 21st-century Asia but rooted in the mid-20th-century imagination, Astro Boy exists as a "triple outsider"—an alien in time, culture, and nature.

 In Kim’s paintings, the small robot wanders through New York in isolation, reflecting the linguistic and cultural barriers faced by first-generation immigrants.

Iam an alienMixed media plexus glass, collage news paper, digital image, 18x18x3 inch, 2026

 While the city is depicted in pale, desaturated pastel tones derived from digitally altered photographs, Astro Boy remains vibrant and flat, rendered in primary colors as if cut out from a vintage comic book. 

This sharp visual contrast emphasizes the "edge" where the artist exists—a place where full assimilation is resisted and the gap between the self and the environment remains visible and unbridgeable.

The narrative of solitude is softened by the presence of the artist’s cat, Romeo, who appears as Astro Boy’s sole emotional anchor.

 This relationship highlights a fundamental human condition: that while we are inherently solitary beings, we find solace in the quiet companionship of others.

 Alongside these moments of comfort, the works occasionally feature shadowy, Batman-like figures that symbolize the invisible tension and anxiety inherent in the urban experience.

 These elements shift the viewer’s perspective from observing a literal city to experiencing a "psychological landscape" where the boundaries of reality, memory, and surrealism overlap.

Kim also utilizes discarded cardboard as a medium to explore the darker, more marginalized corners of New York.

 In these works, the bustling New Yorkers from his oil paintings fade into monochromatic, blurred silhouettes, while Astro Boy takes on a more grounded, empathetic role. 

This mirrors the original animation’s theme of a robot who, despite being discriminated against by humans, remains committed to protecting them. 

Ultimately, Kim Ho-bong’s exhibition invites us to reflect on our own identities and the "interstitial spaces" we occupy. 

It is a poignant exploration of the immigrant journey, suggesting that standing at the boundary—whether as a robot in a human world or a stranger in a new land—offers a unique vantage point to connect with the universal humanity found in shared isolation and small acts of resilience.

Others, passing by 14Oil on Linen, 30x30 inch, 2024