Hyun Jung Kim

Hyun Jung Kim is interested in reading and interpreting objects in the world in additional ways beyond their original intent or design. In previous works, Kim combined negative space and liquid as the primary means of demonstrating her concepts. She is currently interested in the use of dots in Braille. In her work, she uses dots from the Braille alphabet code as an element of abstract language and as a tool to simultaneously convey concepts in literal form.

Recently, Hyun Jung Kim makes gold crowns as mediators to remind viewers of the overlooked precious value and reason of each creation although it might be viewed as tenuous and worthless. Each crown has words in Braille on it and viewers are encouraged to look for the crown to wear with the precious value they have been given or will be given. Kim intends for wearers of these crowns to remember their values and be encouraged to act as a positive factor in the lives of others.

Bio:

Kim studied sculpture for her BFA (1998) and MFA (2000) at Seoul National University. After graduation, she had her first solo exhibition at the KumSan Gallery in 2001. Kim has had exhibited in numerous group exhibitions in Korea, including the YoungEun Contemporary Art Museum and WooDuck Gallery. In 2002, Kim moved to the United States and studied studio art at Montclair State University for her second MFA. Kim won the prestigious “Dean’s Artist/Scholar Graduate Award” of the College of Arts upon graduation. Since then, she has taught students at MSU for 9 years. Kim was invited to the 19th International Jewelry Art Symposium in 2007 where she collaborated with world renowned contemporary jewelry artists. Her work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum Turnov, Czech Republic.

She has curated group exhibitions such as "Metal as a Medium" (2014), “Hanguel, about its Beauty”(2016) and has shown her featured work, crowns, at her solo exhibitions, “Decorated”(2015) and “Kings”(2016). She has participated in numerous exhibitions at the Newark Museum, Belskie Museum, A.I.R. Gallery, PPOW Gallery, and George Segal Gallery, among others. Recently, Kim has been invited for a solo exhibition "Blind in Art- One" (2017)at the Woman’s National Democratic Club, in Washington, DC and her works have been added to the collections of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York and Capital One’s headquarters in Richmond, VA.

Kim has showed her work in United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Europe. Recently Kim introduced her work at Athens, Greece and participated in international art fairs such as Art Palm Springs, SOFA Chicago, and SCOPE Miami Beach/ New York. Also, Kim has been selected as an associate artist of Torpedo Factory Art Center in Virginia.