Seongmin Yoo, Art of Endurance Grant Recipient [Feature]

The Kollection Foundation is proud to announce artist Seongmin Yoo as the recipient of the Art of Endurance Grant sponsored by Four Four Entertainment. Selected for her large scale installation work and compelling artistic practice, Yoo sat down with us to discuss her work, inspirations, and how the idea of rebellion has permeated her life as a working artist.

‍“Rebellion has always informed my practice…Through art, I claim my own name. My work speaks about feminism, environmental issues, and the urgency of what is happening in the world.”

Raised in Korea by “a mother who was an incredibly successful haiku poet”, Seongmin Yoo’s life was shaped by the arts from early childhood. Yoo was taught ink wash painting by her mother and grandmother, learning not only the materials of their artistry, but also the sensitivity and discipline required of it. She enrolled in painting classes at a young age before taking a leap into sculpture in her teens.

“Painting was acceptable for women in my culture, but sculpture was not. As a teenager, I became involved with sculpture, which felt like a rebellion. My mother even arranged for me to apprentice with a highly respected master in wood inlay and mother-of-pearl. At that time, women were not expected to work in sculpture, and that resistance shaped me deeply.”

Today, Yoo says that her work is about the human condition, the environment, and the ways we live inside systems of control. She cites nature as one of her greatest teachers, and is inspired by the flora, fauna, and stunning outdoor ecosystems of her home in Davis, California.

“Hiking, walking, and observing ecosystems inspire me. I collect discarded materials, snakeskins, plant matter, and objects shaped by time. I see nature itself as an art form, and I bring that experience back into the studio.”

Overseer, Yoo’s sculptural piece featured in REBEL, makes use of natural forms and materials and invites the audience to become one with nature by walking among the deer, elk, and bulls that comprise the installation.

“In Overseer, the audience enters the installation and becomes part of the work. They look down at the animal forms, becoming the “overseers.” The animals are intentionally imperfect. Their bodies are cut, melting, decomposing, and returning to the earth. I used real earth and natural materials because I want people to feel the cycle of life, damage, and return.”

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“My sculpture, painting, and performance practices are connected, but they function differently. Sculpture often becomes part of performance. I make masks and forms that dancers and performers move with. Painting gives me more freedom to enter imagination.”

Regardless of medium, Yoo’s work is crafted with the intention of creating spaces “where personal, environmental, and emotional experiences can meet.”. In addition to finding inspiration in nature, Yoo is deeply influenced by the poetry of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (she mentions the book Dictee) and says that she often listens to Sergei Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 2” while working. She’s drawn to the percussive use of the piano and the layered, obscured sounds that it creates. 

“It feels like something is being hidden inside the structure, and that tension between clarity and concealment connects closely to how I build my work.”

Her recent exhibition, Pulses of Experience, also features natural materials, but carries a heavier psychological weight than Overseer. “[Pulses of Experience] includes life-size figures suspended from the ceiling and installed on the walls… one visitor told me that a sculpture containing oak gall reminded her of what she was experiencing with cancer. That moment stayed with me.”

Yoo’s works have been widely exhibited in galleries, museums, and public spaces, but she doesn't shy away from admitting that the life of a working artist is not always easy. Despite the challenges she faces, she approaches her work with a tenacious rebellion that informs not only her art, but her entire outlook.

“I often work seven days a week to sustain my studio practice. I do public art, murals, sculpture, and whatever I can to survive while protecting the freedom I need to make my work. Grants and residencies are still difficult to obtain, but I continue to apply and move forward.

My advice to artists is simple: stay in the studio. Work constantly. That is how you find your voice. Once you know who you are, say what is on your mind through the work. Never give up. Quitting is not an option.”

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More of Seongmin Yoo’s work and story can be found at seongminyoo.com. To keep up with her current projects, follow @seong.min.yoo on Instagram. 

To view all of the available pieces featured in REBEL, click here. 

Thank you to Seongmin Yoo, Four Four Entertainment, SAA, and all participating artists & attendees of REBEL.

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