9 Questions with Minah Kim - Magazine Issue03
Minah Kim is a sculpture artist featured in Al-Tiba9 magazine ISSUE03, interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj about her art.
A female artist who pursues to envelop the absurd and irrational idea about the body, especially the female body as a physical object through sensorial language. Since the body is a membrane between the internal and outer ecology system that remembers the habitual action and the strength, it always bears uncountable dynamics and vibrations from birth to death. Minah searches the way of interpreting the history of power struggle and dynamics that have surrounded the mass of this membrane existing in a contemporary context.
Photo courtesy Minah Kim©
What’s your background?
I am Korean and currently living in America. I was born and lived in South Korea for most of my life. It has been one year since I came to the States. In terms of artistic background, I enjoyed drawing and painting since I was very young, and my parents were supportive of my interest. Excitingly, I was attracted to ceramics in my junior year of undergraduate and have worked with clay since 2012.
What does your work aim to say?
Through the work I make, I often express my diverse experiences of culture, often showing alternative narratives about dislocated or unidentified/identified bodies. The dislocation of the body is also psychological, and it happens everywhere. The tension from a dislocated body, the body that is moved from its home to the unknown mental land, activates my awareness of time and space. I move back and forth from the idea of visceral physicality of this melancholic skin, bone, flesh to the psychological address of my body. I choose using porous and malleable material that shrinks while firing to take a stable physical position, or transparent tools for the expression of offers the nudity, uncomfortably-close feeling. The sound that performs in some of my work not only resisting visual dominance but also is exploring the passage of the psychological space relevant to the memory of bodies through its immersive vibration and works become bells for the sound.
Photo courtesy Minah Kim©
How does your work comment on current social or political issues?
I respond to the unidentified/identified state, for example, diasporic or nomadic circumstances that represent physical and psychological transition. Uncomfortably, revealing these transitional states yet restricting freedom of hybridization and global performativity is always absurd.
My work does not directly represent the specific social issue but comments on political stance through the hijacking and repurposing mundane objects, usage of diverse sensorial materials to break down the hierarchy of vision-especially with sound-and write fiction and poem that presents political resistance.
Where did you get your imagery from (What, If any, sources did you use)?
It comes from everywhere but mostly from history, memory, and coincidence. Also, from my mind, my tools, books, land, people, transportation, news, Walmart, Home Depot... I often find it interesting to consider what if and where things are originally from.
How have you developed your career?
I am currently in the MFA program at The University of Arkansas. I have developed my career mostly through participating in exhibitions, art community, art-related jobs, and teaching.
How do you seek out opportunities?
I try to engage with the community and have a conversation with people. I love having a studio visit whenever the artist/curator/writer come to our institution to give a lecture. Building a strong relationship with people I already have known is also very important to me as well since they connect me to new opportunities for the show or studio visit besides being good friends. Also, I regularly look up open call entries and mark on my calendar. Recently I’m working on a 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year plan and having regular research time for that since time management and long-term plan also assist actually ‘seeking’ opportunities.
Photo courtesy Minah Kim©
Which current art world trends are you following?
I'm not particularly following specific trends, but using multi-sensorial material is the response to the alternative ideas of feminism, through my own experience in language.
What advice would you give someone looking to pursue a career in sculpture and installation today?
Stay healthy, be friendly, be in a community, be aware of different cultures, and don't forget your root space. Setting a goal and regularly achieving goals can be the right motivation for this long marathon.
