In Conversations with Korean Artist Yeesoo Kyung

From now until November 21, 2020, Massimo De Carlo's London gallery is hosting a solo exhibition featuring the Korean artist Yeesoo Kyung, showcasing her extensive body of work developed over the past two decades. The exhibition, titled "I am not the only one but many," primarily focuses on her renowned series known as the 'translated vase,' in which she crafts delicate shapes using discarded ceramic fragments. This series originated during a 2001 visit to a prominent Korean pottery master, where Yeesookyung observed the potter discarding flawed vases in their pursuit of perfection. Moved by this, she salvaged the broken shards and transformed them into voluptuous and deeply personal forms. The artist meticulously connects these fragments with epoxy and delicately covers them in 24-carat gold leaf, a process reminiscent of the centuries-old Japanese art of kintsugi. This technique results in artworks that are simultaneously lush yet delicate.

Interviewer: How have your background and upbringing influenced your creative principles and philosophies?

Yeesoo Kyung: From a very young age, art has been a transformative outlet for my fears, sorrows, obsessions, and delusions, turning them into vibrant and engaging works. Art allows me to embrace vulnerability and celebrate it. For me, art is a sacred place where I explore the world's profound natural forces and energies. It's a vehicle that offers glimpses of transcendence and constantly inspires me to evolve. It compels me to uncover the intricate yet metaphysically structured reality, highlighting its inherent perfection.

Interviewer: Your 'Translated Vase' series involves reconstructing sculptures from discarded ceramic fragments. What drew you to the art of repair and the 'kintsugi' technique?

Yeesoo Kyung: I'm captivated by ephemeral things that break, get damaged, fail, or disappear. These vulnerabilities create new narratives by fusing and connecting objects freely. However, I don't intend to heal or fix these objects. Instead, my work glorifies the inherent fragility of existence, including my own. Gold, a prominent material in my work, doesn't restore or heal but rather accentuates the beauty of broken objects that shine amidst ruins. In the cycle of an object's rise and fall, every ending gives birth to a new beginning, unfolding in another realm of time and space in my works. Japanese viewers often ask about 'kintsugi,' but when I started 'Translated Vase' in 2000, information exchange between Japan and Korea was limited, and I had no knowledge of this Japanese repair technique. I chose gold because in the Korean language, the word for 'gold' and 'crack' is pronounced the same as 'geum,' making it a homonym. This is why I use gold to fill the cracks. Using shards from broken vases was somewhat taboo in Korean culture, emphasizing the concept of flaw.

Interviewer: What new narratives do you aim to convey through your adaptation of these fragments? Are they contemporary, or do they seek to preserve embedded history?

Yeesoo Kyung: As an artist from Korea, where much cultural memory has been lost, I hope the audience can connect the missing links between the past and the present by following the fragmented images.

Interviewer: Why is it personally significant for you to preserve traditional Korean ceramics and ancient handcraft?

Yeesoo Kyung: I'm not inclined to dedicate my artistic impulses solely to preserving vanishing traditions. In a global context, we continually consume global images, and geographical borders, cultural divisions, and even temporal distinctions are becoming less defined in this interconnected world. I incorporate traditional elements I discover as fragments to bridge the gaps and enrich my artistic vocabulary, allowing me to express my experiences in this unpredictable world. I admire the beauty of preserved tradition and the transcendence of artists who build upon traditional forms. The 'Translated Vase' series pays homage to those who connect the missing links between tradition and personal artistic expression, driven by their artistic instincts and liberated from fixed traditions.

Interviewer: Where do you work on your projects, and what creative strategies do you employ?

Yeesoo Kyung: I work slowly and repetitively, as I never know where a sudden idea might lead. The process itself changes me and my beliefs, so maintaining a consistent level of making and thinking is crucial. I find calmness when my concentration aligns with both my body and mind.

Interviewer: How does social or digital media contribute to the communication of your work?

Yeesoo Kyung: The 'Translated Vase' series comprises three-dimensional works with important textural details. Communicating this sense through digital media can be challenging. However, the positive aspect of media lies in its organic growth and unpredictability, mirroring my creative process. Additionally, in the age of the pandemic, social and digital media help viewers worldwide access the works, fostering broader imagination. I anticipate that the appreciation of artwork will continue to evolve through these platforms.

Interviewer: What currently fascinates you and influences your artistic practice?

Yeesoo Kyung: I've long been interested in the time and space of ancient eras, particularly the Silk Road, which fascinates me even more now. Growing up in 1970s Korea, under the myth of racial homogeneity and strict cultural censorship during a military dictatorship, embracing a fragmented identity and searching for missing cultural connections between the past and the present has become a fundamental premise of my work, regardless of my intentions. In 2017, I read a research paper by Kim Hongnam, which explored stone carvings with lion and peacock designs dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries. These motifs were unusual during the Buddhist state Silla dynasty and were more closely associated with early Christian motifs. Kim traced their cross-cultural journey to the Korean peninsula, revealing their vibrant history. Her discoveries helped me understand the internationalism and cultural diversity of the ancient unified Silla period. Lately, this interest has become more prominent in my works as a culturally integrated form.