KIM YongChul

I am interested in old objects. I enjoy thinking and imagining about the time lived by those things. A small old object has often lived twice longer or even more than me. Such objects involve multiple aspects such as history, culture, contexts and social recognition. Therefore, when taking a journey into their times, I encounter the matter of how to look at these objects. I discover something unfamiliar and new in them that had been considered old and familiar. During this process, it happens to me to have an urge to try to overcome their generalized meanings given by the society, in order to find out why and how I have been regarding them. As new forms and rediscovery of meanings are regarded as parts of the process of destruction and reunion, the link between tradition and present gets broken while getting reconnected again. It thrills me to witness how a certain meaning can be transformed by manipulation and distortion, leading my thoughts toward the system of judgment about truth and fake. ‘Is only a true thing something new? Everyone is looking for something new but what is new and why?’ When trying to make something new, I start to think about how to determine the range of meanings of ‘new’. I become focused on matters of what can be old and new, true and fake at the same time. While thinking about all these aspects, my way of understanding objects changes and I start to have a complete comprehension of them. At this point, I also happen to think these objects can be something else too. In other words, I question about transformation of perception and consciousness, which consists of the main theme of my work. Thus, art is endless questions and unstoppable attempts about differences between things. Art is an action filling up a gap between differences by new layers. That gap could be as thin as a sheet of paper or infinite. However, Society is not tolerant toward these differences. So, I had to show my vision in my own personal way to express myself in this society. My eyes are usually drawn toward retired spots, common things that seem useless, things that are easy to ignore in daily life, or situations and gestures of isolated people. Before criticizing established ideas and suggesting alternative solutions, self-criticism must precede. You should affirm and deny at the same time multiple things that had been part of yourself, such as what you have learned and known, relations, systems and the society. You should be aware of the irony in art; that art is useless but its uselessness is meaningful when you have to build up a new thinking system to trust something that you have been distrusting and distrust something trusty. I apply this attitude and vision to established ideas. That’s why I also make works that are predicted to fail. By revealing the limits and allowing failure, I attempt to seek new possibilities. Besides, I try to see how different subjects compose the society and their social functions and meanings, and also their invisible aspects. Ceramics were also regarded rather as a document but not as a functional object to reveal the time, history, perception and desire involved within. I also enjoy basic desire inherent in humans such as communion with materials during the work.

 

 

 

KIM JunMyoung
Born in 1980, Seoul, Korea

EDUCATION
2011 M.F.A, College of Fine Arts, Korea National University of Arts
2006 B.F.A, Ceramic and Glass , College of Fine Arts Hong-ik University

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION
2015 When you Gaze, Space O’newwall, Seoul, Korea
2013 Forms of Being, Medalta international artist in residency, Canada

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
2015 Beyond Limitation, Clayarch GimHae Museum, GimHae, Korea
Fornt, Back, Gallery PiaLux, Seoul, Korea
2014 The 16th Selected Artist Exhibition of GwangJu Shinsegae Gallery, GwangJu, Korea
2013 Ceramic Top 40, Red Star Studio, Kansas City, US
Residency artist group show, Medalta international artist in residency, Medicine Hat,
Restricted use, cultural complex space ggooll&ggoollpoll, Han-nam dong, Seoul, Korea
2012 Unfinished Journey, Graduation artist exhibition for 20th anniversary of Korea National University oh Arts, Gallery Cais, Seoul, Korea
Object, Kepco Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
2011 The 6th World Ceramic Biennale International Arts Contest, Icheon, Korea
2009 The 5th World Ceramic Biennale International Arts Contest, Icheon, Korea