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| ▲ South Korean artist Kimsooja speaks after being named an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters at the French ambassador's residence in Seoul on July 9, 2025, in this photo taken by Kim Jin-sol and provided by her studio. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, July 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean artist Kimsooja was named an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters, the second-highest of the European country's three-tier honor.
The artist received the award at the French ambassador's residence in Seoul on Wednesday, recognizing her contributions to cultural exchange and relations between South Korea and France. In 2017, she was named a "commandeur" of the same order.
The multi-disciplinary conceptual artist uses a one-word name, Kimsooja, as it "refuses gender identity, marital status, socio-political or cultural and geographical identity by not separating the family name and the first name," according to her official website.
"I have been fortunate to realize many monumental projects over the last four decades by exchanging inspiration with the artists and cultural figures in France who have shown unwavering love and support for my work," she told Yonhap News Agency.
"I am deeply grateful for my second home, France, for this recognition," she added.
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| ▲ South Korean artist Kimsooja (R) receives the French Order of Arts and Letters with the rank of "officer" from French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux (L) at the ambassador's residence in Seoul on July 9, 2025, in this photo taken by Kim Jin-sol and provided by her studio. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Born in 1957 in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, she is renowned for a body of work built on original exploration of the self, seeking connections between the individual, the community, nature and the cosmos. Her practice is also deeply engaged with contemporary social, global and gender issues.
Based mostly in Seoul and New York, she is best known for her "Bottari," or wrapped bundles, series, an installation made of bed covers and clothing.
Since she studied lithography at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1984, she has been a versatile artist in France for over four decades.
Last year, she became the first Korean artist to be given "carte blanche" at the Pinault Collection in Paris, where she presented the exhibition "To Breathe -- Constellation." The honor grants her complete artistic freedom for the show.
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