Kim Sang-won

Kim Sang-won

Lives and works in Inocheon, South Korea.

I grew up watching my mother sewing since I was little. I remember seeing my mother shake off bad feelings and get back on her feet while sewing. In order to find an answer to the mental illness that came to me as an adult, I recall memories from those days and express them using thread, the smallest and weakest object related to a sewing machine.

When people are born, they interact with other people and are influenced by them, so their purity is naturally damaged. As a result, they neglect many things about themselves and live a life of self-improvement. At home, under the name of father and mother

By name, by one’s position in society. Jean-Paul Sartre says, 'Hell is because others influence you and damage your purity.' So what do people who are already trapped in hell have to live by?

It is not the part that is buried in the part that is being lost and the part that is being cut out that is open. I would like to say that we must look at the purity that has been neglected.

Purity is an ambiguous thing that is personal and subjective, but about it I think that if you live through reflection, even if you cannot find a clear answer right away, you can live with this thought as a hope for your life.

The way that I wanted to start this was just: “How are you?”

I’m thinking about making changes to my work.

How did you become an artist? And why did you become one?

I think I became an artist because I wanted to leave my mark. Of course, every profession can leave its mark, but I believed that art could do so more directly and personally.

What events or experiences have shaped your creative work?

My work began with the anxiety of 'What will I become in the future? The anxiety that arose when entering university persisted for a long time, and only recently has it been sorted out within me and expressed through my artwork.

Are there any particular topics or subjects that you like to explore in your work?

I want to work on the theme of my position in contemporary society. It's about 'What will I become in the future? Or what position and form do I currently hold?

How do you keep pushing the boundaries, experimenting with your work?

I engage with various mediums, such as films, paintings, novels, and so on. While consuming them, I compare the thoughts of others with my own and then synthesize them. I then experiment with materials as if playing with them, trying to understand their characteristics and assessing whether they can be incorporated into my work while having fun with the materials.

Tell me whose opinion of your art is important to you?

Receiving evaluations of my art from both professional critics and general audience members is important. However, I do not believe in prioritizing one group's assessment over the other, as I am not yet a seasoned artist. I believe that receiving a more detailed and professional evaluation of my artistic expression from critics can help me study and advance my work further. Additionally, the evaluations from general audience members, which involve a direct assessment of the imagery, allow me to compare their reactions and contribute to my artistic growth.

What do you think is the most interesting topic being discussed today in the field of contemporary art? Are there any local or international artistic phenomena, that catch your attention right now?

In Korea, I believe there has been an increase in works expressing personal emotions as we navigate through the time of COVID-19. Of course, this is just my personal opinion.

What is a fun fact about you?

I encounter minor misfortunes frequently. It's like breaking a tooth while chewing on ice or having the bottom of a PET bottle of tomato juice explode and hit me. It's funny now, but at the time, I created art with a pessimistic outlook on these small misfortunes occurring.

What is your advice for aspiring artists who are just starting out?

I also believe that I cannot offer advice that would be helpful to them as I am just like them. However, I think deep thought should accompany my work. I believe art is about persuading people with my thoughts. Just being beautiful is good, but I think there should be an explanation of why it is beautiful.

Do you have any future projects that you are excited to share with the public at this time?

I haven't thought about a project to share with the public yet.

Thank you very much for joining us today in this interesting conversation!