"Will Repay with All Remaining Strength Through Work"
"I will do my best to create works that inspire many people during the remaining time with all my strength."
Kim Yoon-shin (89), Korea's first-generation female sculptor, is embarking on new activities as an exclusive artist with International Gallery and the top U.S. gallery Lehmann Maupin.
Lehmann Maupin announced on the 17th, "Artist Kim Yoon-shin (89) has signed an exclusive contract jointly with International Gallery." Born in 1935 in Wonsan, Gangwon Province during the Japanese colonial period, the artist moved south to Seoul with her family due to the Korean War. She graduated from Hongik University in 1959 and studied abroad in France during the 1960s. In 1964, she majored in sculpture and lithography at the ?cole Nationale Sup?rieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After moving to Argentina in 1984 at the age of 49, she was captivated by the vast natural landscapes encountered during her travels in South America and has since presented works embodying a deep respect for nature.
Kim’s work is characterized by employing traditional sculptural grammar while expanding ideas into flat formats such as painting and printmaking. Son Emma, Senior Director of Lehmann Maupin Seoul, explained, "Kim Yoon-shin’s early work played a crucial role in paving the way for future generations of female artists and contributed to the diversification of Korean art. The artist challenged social customs including patriarchy."
This year, the artist plans to engage with audiences more actively than ever. She will reveal her work for the first time since signing the exclusive contract at the Lehmann Maupin booth at Frieze Los Angeles (LA) in February. In March, her works will be exhibited in the 'In Focus' exhibition at Lehmann Maupin New York gallery. In the same month, she will present various works to Korean audiences at her solo exhibition at International Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Lee Hyun-sook, Chairperson of International Gallery, said, "It was a time when it was difficult for women to work as full-time sculptors, but based on a bold experimental spirit with new materials, it is a great honor to work with Kim Yoon-shin, who quietly cultivated her artistic world even in the distant land of Argentina. The gallery will not only reaffirm the artist’s significant art historical contributions but also actively support and widely promote her artistic journey, which continues to develop infinitely even as she approaches her nineties. We will lay the groundwork for her to leap forward as a global artist and for active reconsideration of her era-defining value on the international stage."
Upon announcing the exclusive contract, the artist said, "I visited Korea with my ninetieth birthday approaching, and I never imagined that I would meet Lee Hyun-sook, Chairperson of International Gallery, and Rachel Lehmann, co-founder of Lehmann Maupin, through my solo exhibition at Namseoul Museum of Art in Seoul last year. I deeply appreciate the support and encouragement from the two galleries and the warm welcome from those in my homeland."
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