Dr. Keysook Geum’s dramatic sculptures of elegantly posed forms embody the fusion of timeless Asian aesthetics and philosophy with contemporary flair. They are constructed of paper-wrapped wire, gems or beads, and sometimes silk. Starting with a central focal point, Geum works outwardly in a concentric manner reminiscent of a spider. As the artist weaves, twists and bends wire two-dimensionally, intricate forms and unintentional patterns emerge. The natural tensions of interlacing wire pushes and pulls out until figurative shapes begin to take form. With a background in designing costumes for large-scale dance and theater productions, Geum’s sculptural works are imbued with her delight in movement, energy and gesture. Geum likens the works to the Buddhist lotus flower, a recurrent symbol in and inspiration for her work. She is an author and professor of Textile Art and Fashion Design at Hong Ik University in Seoul, Korea. Since 2007, she has also been serving as the president of the Korean Society of Costume.

 

BACKGROUND & EDUCATION

 

President   The Korea Society of Costume

Professor   Dept. of Textile Art & Fashion Design

                    College of Fine Arts, Hong Ik University

 

1988   PhD, Textiles, Ehwa Womens Univ.

1988   Post Doctoral Fellowship, Univ. of MN

 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

 

 

2014   Solo Exhibition, “Wire and Light,” Art+ Shanghai Gallery, Shanghai, China 

 

2013   Solo Exhibition, Callan Contemporary, New Orleans, LA, USA

 

            Solo Exhibition, "Visible in Invisible", Artspace H, Seoul, Korea

 

 

2010   Solo Exhibition, Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, USA

 

 

2008   Solo Exhibition "Moving or Dancing", Gallery Bienvenu, New Orleans, USA

           

 

            “World Wired Web”, Andrew Bae Gallery, Chicago

 

 

2007   Fashion Art from Korea

 

 

          Turkey Folklore Museum Gallery, Turkey

 

 

          GEUM-HONG & FRIENDS, Gana Art Space, Seoul

 

 

2006   Fashion Art from Korea

 

 

          Beijing Korean Culture Center, Beijing

 

 

2005   “Fashion is Art : Honoring the Visionaries with the Tribute to Excellence Award”,

 

 

          The Walker Art Center, Minnesota “Mind Over Matter, Body Under Design, The Goldstein          

 

          Museum: Minnesota

 

 

          Fashion Art Exhibition, “Air of the East”, Universitat der Kunste Berlin, Germany

 

 

2004   “Sculpt a Pose”, Andrew Bae Gallery, Chicago

 

 

          Hong Kong Arts Center, Hong Kong

 

 

          Metal Style, Le Conservation des Ocres et Pigments Appliques, Roussillon-Vaucluse,

 

 

          France

 

 

2003   Fashion Art, Design School Gallery, Vienna

 

 

          Tigerman Gallery, Chicago

 

 

          Daegu Textile Art Documenta, Deaegu, Korea

 

 

2002   Air of Korea, Nepal Art Council, Kathmandu Art to Wear, Hitotsubashi Kinen Kodo, Tokyo

 

 

2001   Baeck Sang Memorial Hall, Seoul Busan Fiber & Fashion Art Festival, Busan

 

 

2000   Parsons School of Design, New York

 

 

          Kwangju Biennale Art to Wear Pavillion, Korea

 

 

1999   Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seoul Fashion Art, Haus der Kulturen, West Berlin

 

 

1998   Body and Cloth Narratives Exhibition, Dong-A Gallery, Seoul

 

 

1997   Kwangju Biennalen, Kwangju Korean Society of Costume, Seoul

 

 

          Fashion Art Festival, Soul Art Center, Seoul

 

 

1996   International Art to Wear Exhibition, Denmark National Museum, Copenhagen

 

 

1995   Kwangju Biennale, Kwangju

 

 

1990   SKIN Exhibition, Dongduck Gallery, Seoul