Page 211 - 2019 September 13th Christie's New York Important Chinese Works of Art

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Proper t y rom he Collection of
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Whe Do Kim

Sold o Benefit he Education of Orphans
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Whe Do Kim is a renowned pianist and philanthropist based in Chicago, Illinois. Born in Seoul, Whe Do
Kim graduated from the prestigious Seoul Music and Arts High School, and won the Grand Prix in the
Pan-Korean National Music Competition, and Best Accompanist prize of the Korean National Musicians
Associations, before moving to the United States to continue her musical career. In 1985, she established
the Lincoln Park Music Center in Chicago, a rigorous music school dedicated to nurturing the talents
of children in the Chicago area. Kim also founded the Lincoln Park Music Center Foundation, which is
committed to supporting and educating underprivileged children, with the goal of providing an emotional
outlet in music.
Whe Do Kim’s father, Kim Haksoo (b. 1933), is an acclaimed photographer, specializing in black-and-
white photographs portraying life in the 1960s-70s in Korea. Over two hundred of his photographs have
been exhibited at the National Folk Museum of Korea, with an accompanying publication. Whe Do Kim’s
great-grandfather, Kim Jedeok (1855-1925), was a high-ranking Korean oficial whose portrait was painted
by famed court painter Chae Yongshin (1850-1941). This portrait, along with other works in the family
collection, has been donated by the Kim family to the National Folk Museum of Korea.
Aside from her passion for music, Whe Do Kim is a passionate philanthropist. In addition to the Lincoln
Park Music Center Foundation, Kim and her family are creating The Hakhae Foundation, based in Korea,
which will be dedicated to funding the education of orphans. The Kim family has pledged to use the
entirety of the proceeds from the sale of this robe towards the education of orphans.

(above)
Temple and Tree (1968),
photograph by Kim
Haksoo (b. 1933), the
father of the present
owner. Image courtesy of
the National Folk Museum
of Korea.
(right)
Portrait of Kim Jaeduk
(1855-1925) by court
painter Chae Yongshin
(1850-1941), 1921, oil on
canvas, National Folk
Museum of Korea.
(far right)
Kim Jongki (1911-1991), the
grandfather of the present
owner (standing), and Kim
Jaenam, the great-uncle
of the present owner
(sitting), circa 1936.
Photographer unknown.
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