About

Won-Ju Kim is a South-Korean Fiber/Soft Sculpture artist who is active between South Korea, Europe, and the U.S.A. Her multifaceted work addresses themes of diversity, healing and memory.

Born 1988, Won-Ju Kim earned her BFA in Fine Arts in Crafts – Fiber and Textile studies from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, U.S.A. in 2014, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts – Media art from the Kaywon School of Art and Design in Korea (2009).

Since 2007, Won-Ju Kim has taken part in various group exhibitions and activities in the fields of art and fashion, both in South Korea and the U.S.A. including Craft Show at Convention Center, Tawney Continued; The University of the Arts, Philadelphia; and New York Fashion Week. A recent exhibition “We Remember You” took place 2015 at Pinea Linea de Costa in Spain. Also in 2015, her work was presented at the International Fiber Art Fair, Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea. The artist has received several awards and scholarships, including the 2014 Rosalie Borowsky Belkin Award in Fibers. Fall 2017, she took part in the Mark Rothko Center’s International Textile Art Symposium in Latvia. She joined SomoS as an Artist-in-Residence Fall 2017, producing a solo exhibition Healing the Process that took place November 2017.

Inspired by her international experiences outside of her native South Korea, a keen intercultural sensibility has become an important aspect of Won-Ju Kim’s work. Exploring this in-between state, she aims to make the viewer of her work aware of the relativity and shifting nature of cultural attitudes and conventions.

My work’s background is based on the diversity of culture. I’ve always wanted to be involved in all kinds of cultures, it has led me abroad, to observe and learn. I often find myself finally feeling the ultimate freedom when I am located outside of my country. Diversity is key for my work.

– WonJu Kim, Artist’s Statement