Dr. Kim Hong-Hee, a former director of the Seoul Museum of Art, has published a book titled Korean Feminist Artists: Confront and Deconstruct, which examines the current landscape of feminist art in Korea as of 2024.

The book originated from her series Korean Feminist Artists, which was serialized in the ‘Kyunghyang Shinmun’ from January 2021 to April 2022. The original articles, which were written concisely to fit the newspaper format, have since been extensively revised, expanded with theoretical insights, annotated, and accompanied by a selection of key works for this book edition.

The author highlights the works of 42 Korean women artists, ranging from emerging talents to globally recognized figures, including Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Kyungah Ham, Kimsooja, Lee Bul, Mire Lee, Minouk Lim, Haegue Yang, and Yun Suknam. The book serves as a “ground exhibition” in written form, mapping the feminine temporal landscape and showcasing the artistic achievements these women have accumulated over the past half-century since the 1980s.

Additionally, the works of Na Hye-seok and Chun Kyung-ja, who paved the way for feminist art in Korea, are introduced to highlight historical continuity. At the end of the book, there is an afterword by poet Kim Hyesoon, who was closely involved with artists during the emergence of feminist art in Korea in the 1980s.

The book sets forth 15 key themes, including femininity and sexuality, queer politics, ecofeminism, and diaspora, showcasing a diverse range of works across painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, installation, handicrafts, and performance. It highlights the artistic achievements of pioneering female artists who have challenged patriarchal values and male-dominated power structures in the art world. At the same time, it presents a blueprint for the future, drawing attention to the intersectionality of different forms of discrimination, such as class, race, gender, and disability, thereby expanding the frontiers of contemporary feminist art in Korea.

Among the artists featured in the book, there are those who openly identify as feminist artists, while others, despite the feminist themes in their work, reject being labeled as feminists. However, the author emphasizes that curatorial and critical judgment of the artist and their work takes precedence. The artists were primarily chosen for their ability to engage with diverse themes from essentialist or deconstructionist perspectives.
 
Additionally, Korean Feminist Artists will be published in an English edition through Phaidon, a British publishing house, with support from the Korea Arts Management Service.

References

• 열화당(Youlhwadang)
• 파이돈 프레스 (Phaidon Press)
• 연합뉴스, 반세기 동안 한국 여성 미술가들이 쌓아온 예술적 성과, 2024.10.03

Ji Yeon Lee has been working as an editor for the media art and culture channel AliceOn since 2021 and worked as an exhibition coordinator at samuso (now Space for Contemporary Art) from 2021 to 2023.