Soul Eunsol Eom (엄은솔)

Soul Eunsol Eom in the studio — Soul Eunsol Eom

Eom paints figures who move through scenes set between dream and waking life. Rooms open onto mountains and seas; people dive into deep water, become mountains themselves, or take tea while fire spreads behind glass. The figures stay strangely calm, and the paintings leave open who started the collapse: someone in the picture, the painter, or the viewer.

Alongside this work, Eom has made the 100 Self-Portraits Project since 2024, a long-term series painted in homage to earlier masters. Trained at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe under Corinne Wasmuht (Diplom 2019, Meisterschüler 2021). Solo exhibitions include Kimreeaa Gallery, Seoul (2026) and Galerie ERD, Seoul and Busan (2022).

Works

Eight paintings from 2023 to 2026: scenes of water, fire and mountains, and three self-portraits from the 100 Self-Portraits Project, each made in homage to an earlier painter.

Soul Eunsol Eom, A Quite Strange Picnic, 2026 — 01A Quite Strange Picnic, 2026Oil on canvas, 183 × 162 cm

Soul Eunsol Eom, A Quite Strange Teatime, 2026 — 02A Quite Strange Teatime, 2026Oil on canvas, 184 × 165 cm

Soul Eunsol Eom, I Wish We Were Mountains, 2025 — 03I Wish We Were Mountains, 2025Oil on canvas, 183 × 138 cm

Soul Eunsol Eom, If We Were Mountains, Sorrow Would Become Valleys, 2025 — 04If We Were Mountains, Sorrow Would Become Valleys, 2025Oil on canvas, 80.3 × 65.1 cm

Soul Eunsol Eom, Staring People: People Who Have Lost Their Colors, 2023 — 05Staring People: People Who Have Lost Their Colors, 2023Oil on canvas, 143 × 214 cm

Soul Eunsol Eom, Soul Holding the Head of Soul, 2024 — 06Soul Holding the Head of Soul, 2024Oil on canvas, 40.9 × 31.8 cm. Homage to Guido Reni, *Salome Holding the Head of John the Baptist*

Soul Eunsol Eom, Soul's World, 2025 — 07Soul's World, 2025Oil on panel, 40.9 × 31.8 cm. Homage to Andrew Wyeth, *Christina's World* (1948)

Soul Eunsol Eom, Portrait of Soul E., 2026 — 08Portrait of Soul E., 2026Oil on panel, 40.9 × 31.8 cm. Homage to Tamara de Lempicka, *Portrait of Ira P.* (1930)

Selected records

Education: Meisterschüler, Painting, State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe (2021); Diplom, Painting, State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe (2019)
Solo exhibitions: Unflowing Water, Unspreading Fire, Kimreeaa Gallery, Seoul (2026); conscious but unconscious, Galerie ERD, Seoul and Busan (2022); Palais de Seoul (2020); Kara's Gallery, Seoul (2018)
Group exhibitions: TOP 20 Meisterschüler*innen, Kunstverein Heilbronn (2021); Max Ernst-Stipendium 2020 final exhibition, Galerie am Schloss, Brühl (2020); YICCA 2019 final exhibition, CMC Milano (2019)
Awards and grants: Majoongmool Art Market, first place (2024); The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grants (2020, 2022); Max Ernst-Stipendium, shortlist of nine (2020); YICCA International Contest of Contemporary Art, first place (2019)
Links: souleom.com · Instagram @soulartisteom
Enquiries: For enquiries about the artist and their work, please contact KVAA: woori@kvaauk.org

Current exhibition

(mean)while

A group exhibition of four Korean artists, presented by KVAA and curated by Woori Ko. Fourteen works are shown in the exhibition at St Marylebone Art Space, London. Exhibition page

Dates 26 November 2026 to 25 January 2027
Private view Thursday 26 November 2026, 6 to 8pm
Venue St Marylebone Art Space, London NW1
Admission Free