Hyung joo Kim
Born in 1959 in Masan, South Korea,Hyungjoo Kim holds a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. in Fiber Art from Hongik University. She has served as a Visiting Professor at Michigan State University and North Park University, where she also taught as an Artist-in-Residence. Kim has exhibited internationally, including at the Chicago Cultural Center and the MIA Art Fair, with project sponsorships from major corporations such as Samsung.
“My art is about ‘Communication.’ My inner voice communicates with basic human needs… reminiscent of bamboo swaying in the wind.”
“My work is deeply influenced by my personal struggle overcoming illness and the devoted love of my mother. Specifically, the ‘heartbeat’ and the connection between mother and child are central themes in my practice. Through Hanji, weaving, and mixed media, I visualize the ‘Spirit of Korea’-Harmony, Humanity, and Freedom.”
A Turning Point in America
In Detroit, at the Pezaiski Gallery of the Ford Foundation, I presented a commemorative exhibition marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Korean War armistice. The exhibition was supported by Dr. Hyun Bong Hak, the Mayor of Dearborn, and members of the Korean community in Michigan, many of whom attended the opening. Korean American official Shin-ae Jeon and Mrs. Nancy also visited from the White House. In Chicago, the cultural affairs consul and Yuk Gil-won, an adviser to the Hankook Ilbo, traveled more than five hours to report on the exhibition.
Retired American generals who had served in the Korean War took the lead at the opening. They observed a moment of silence, fired a ceremonial salute, and planted a commemorative tree in honor of the twenty-seven American soldiers who died during the war. Around that time, Professor Jeon In-ho, now a professor at Chung-Ang University, had just returned from studying in France and was working as a part-time lecturer. He joined the Spirit of Korea exhibition team as both manager and planner.
Although the exhibition received extraordinary publicity and filled the newspapers day after day, it was not covered by American art journals. After another exhibition at the James Tygerman Gallery, I moved to Chicago in July 2004 as an invited professor at North Park University, and from that point exhibitions continued one after another.
Even while I continued to exhibit, life as a foreigner stranded alone on an island no one knew also continued. As time passed and uncertainty deepened, I clung more fiercely to my work. I had to do something. Through the act of making art, I found the strength to search for my essential self. With my 2006 solo exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center as a turning point, the works I loved like my own children began to move onto a wider world stage. The response was astonishing. NBC Chicago came to cover the show, and the news was broadcast on television.
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
HYUNGJOO KIM Born 1959, Masan, South Korea Lives and works in Chicago, IL and Kangwondo, South Korea
EDUCATION
• 1995 | M.F.A. in Fiber Art, Graduate School of Applied Arts, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
• 1987 | B.F.A., College of Fine Arts, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
• Visiting Professor / Lecturer | Michigan State University, USA
• Teaching Artist in Residence / Visiting Professor | North Park University, Chicago, USA
• Instructor at various art colleges in South Korea
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
• Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA (Work: Record and Symbol, 2000)
• Seoul National University Museum, South Korea
• North Park University, USA (Work: Eunjangdo)
• Keimyung University, South Korea (Work: Innocent Smile)
SELECTED SOLO & INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
• 2022 | Mother’s Forest, Bauhaus Gallery, La Habra, CA
• 2006 | Spirit of Korea, North Park University, Chicago, IL
• 2005 | Spirit of Korea (Humanity, Harmony, Freedom), Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
• Invitational Exhibitions at: Osaka Cultural Center (Japan), New York Korean Cultural Center (USA), LA Artcore (USA), Detroit Pezaiski Art Gallery (USA).
SELECTED ART FAIRS & GROUP EXHIBITIONS
• 2026 | LA Art Show, Los Angeles, CA
• 2017 | SCOPE Miami Beach, Miami, FL
• 2013 | MIA Art Fair, Miami, FL
• 2011 | MIA Art Fair, Miami, FL
• 2000 | Art Exhibition at the Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Center, New York, NY
• 1999 | Art & Art Wear, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
• 1999 | Seoul Millennium Show, Deoksu Palace, Seoul
• 1998 | ’98 Fashion Art from Korea, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
• 1998 | Art to Wear: German Tour Exhibition, Germany
• 1987–1995 | Korea Craft Exhibition, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul
PERFORMANCE & PROJECTS
• 2013 | Paper Dress Performance (Korean War Cease-Fire 60th Anniversary), Skokie Performing Center, IL
• 2006 | Spirit of Korea Fashion Show, South Shore Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
• Samsung Calendar Project | Corporate Sponsorship
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Cole, Karl. “Possibilities of Paper: Kim Hyung Joo,” Davis Publications, Jan 2022.
• “Spirit of Korea,” NBC News, 2006.
• “Mother’s Forest Exhibition,” KUMC TV, 2022.
• “Artist Interview,” Artmiami.tv.
Early Career Exhibitions
• 2000 | Art Exhibition at the Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Center, New York City, NY (Nov. 17 – Dec. 7)
• 2000 | Hong-Ik Fiber and Plastic Arts Exhibition, Maga Museum, Yongin (Sept. 30 – Oct. 28)
• 2000 | Hong-Ik Fiber and Plastic Arts Exhibition, Hong-Ik University Modern Arts Museum (June 20–24)
• 2000 | Haarm: The Day the Bride’s Treasures (The Wedding Box) Arrive, Seoul City Art Hall (June)
• 1999 | Art & Art Wear, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (June)
• 1999 | Seoul Millennium Show, Deoksu Palace, Seoul (April)
• 1999 | Gallery Opening Exhibition, Gallery Nire, Yokohama, Japan (May)
• 1998 | Art to Wear: German Tour Exhibition, Aachen, Germany (Aug. – Oct.)
• 1998 | The 17th International Costume Exhibition, Hotel Lotte World, Seoul (July)
• 1998 | Exhibition of Hong-Ik Fashion Works, LG Gallery, Seoul (May)
• 1998 | ’98 Fashion Art from Korea, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany (April – June)
• 1997 | Hong-Ik Fiber Art Exhibition, The Korea Culture & Arts Foundation Art Center (Sept.)
• 1997 | Arts in Hats, Seoul Art Center Museum (June)
• 1997 | Fashion Art Festival, Seoul Art Center Museum (April)
• 1993 | Hong-Ik Costume Exhibition, Hong-Ik University Museum (June)
• 1991 | Fiber Art Exhibition, Gallery Baek-ak, Seoul (Sept.)
• 1987–1995 | Korea Craft Exhibition, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul
• 1987 | Korea Contemporary Art Exhibition, Sejong Culture Hall, Seoul (July)
• 1987–1990 | Fiber Art Exhibition, Design & Package Center, Seoul