Artist Statement
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Young Kim is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist from South Korea whose practice includes painting, weaving, installation, hand papermaking, and performance. She earned a BFA in Textile Art from Hongik University in Seoul and an MFA in Fine Arts from Columbia College Chicago in 2023. She is currently pursuing an MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Young has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions across Korea, the U.S., and internationally. She was awarded the Albert P. Weisman Award and the Haystack Fellowship in 2023.
Young’s art practice is rooted in Buddhist philosophies. I reflect on the concept of sabba—the world as a place of suffering—and dukkha, the unhappiness and despair that arise from our attachments to tangible or intangible materials. These teachings also emphasize cultivating wisdom and loving-kindness as a path toward nirvana, the ultimate state of peace. Believing that art can be a vehicle for easing suffering, Young creates works that convey life-affirming sensations such as hope, joy, transcendence, and serenity.
She dreams of her showcase offering a sanctuary to the people of sabba.
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