The Gift of Distance | Wonsook Kim | Legacy Project Maryland

Wonsook Kim was born in 1953 in Busan, South Korea, just after the war’s end. Upon her first birthday, her family moved back to Seoul where they had lived prior to the Korean War; Wonsook recounts growing up in a large family-the 2nd of 8 children-with her many siblings, aunts, and two grandmothers. As the 2nd eldest daughter, she felt as though she was an outsider in many ways, always in the background, while worrying about what she could do be recognized as someone who brought delight and joy into different spaces. In hindsight, Wonsook states that it was perhaps due to this distance that she was able to grow as an artist. This distance grew when she came to the United States to pursue college and graduate school at Illinois State University, which today houses the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts as well as the Wonsook Kim School of Art. Upon graduation, her career took a turn upon winning the 1976 Elizabeth Stein Art Scholarship which allowed her to relocate to New York City, where she worked a variety of jobs to support herself as an artist. In 1977, a passing curator noticed her studio and offered for her work to be displayed at The Drawing Center in SoHo, and the rest is history; since then, she has displayed her artwork at 67 solo exhibitions and galleries. Wonsook stresses how blessed she feels to be able to do what she loves with the full support of her husband and children, and is determined to “pay back”-her words-all those who supported her throughout her long career.
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CREDITS
Interviewer: HJ Lee
Videographers: Kimberly Young Sun @kimberlyyoungsun & Janice Chung @janicekaramchung
Editor: Jaehee Cheong @jhee_c218
Audio: Celine Son @clnsn
Production Manager: Kimberly Young Sun
Motion Designer: Aj Valente ajyval.myportf...
Music Composer: Jang Hyeong Yoon
Executive Producer: HJ Lee
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[@jyoo6025]

Thank you for sharing the great story.

[@PeterAaronMyhre1967]

Fantastic

[@misosoup8030]

Thank you for your story. These stories are always so interesting to me. Once you showed a picture of your husband, I knew I had seen him before. Not only was he featured here on this channel, but a few years ago, I came across his story on KZbin. I had to also rewatch that. For those that want to see it, this is the link, which I now realize is the same channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIHdf2aVa7GjjJIsi=Aad1QB7cUVaaO9ya