Se Young Yim
Se Young Yim(b. 1995, Seoul, South Korea) is both painter and sculptor based in New York City. She holds an MFA degree from the School of Visual Arts.
Se Young’s practice began with subtle sense in relationships. She has been curious about ‘why people are programmed to fall in love?’. She has focused on fragile, reflecting texture and intimate places which depicts her curiosity and emotions, and she attempts to explore vulnerable physicality in space through making sculptures and paintings.
Could you tell us more about your background and how you began creating art?
Since I was a child, I have loved drawing and writing stories. I spent most of my time reading comic books, mystery novels and drawing cartoons by myself. I enjoyed rich resources and I like the environment where I grew up, but there was a conservative, binary-minded atmosphere. I was very self-conscious and I hid my voice from time to time with mainstream’s perception. I was especially reluctant to talk about what I liked. Then, at the age of 21, I came to New York for a summer internship, and I was very surprised to visit several art museums. People were giving voices through art, regardless of whether they were marginalized or not, showing their uniqueness. It was not only honest enough to be sharp, but it also encouraged others. It was fascinating. I was a student studying fashion, but after that day, I decided to come to New York again to study contemporary art.
What does your art aim to say to its viewers?
I am focusing on vulnerable physicality in space and relationships through my art practice. I want to give the audience the experience of loneliness and intimacy at the same time. Some said that in my work, they see images of ghosts or beings from faraway. And at the same time, they told me that they felt an unknown solitude and warmth. I am grateful to hear these comments. There are days in life when you doubt your own lonesomeness. People belong to several groups at the same time throughout their lives. The groups may change from place to place, sometimes transforming and being temporary. I always wonder why we are programmed to love others? I think loneliness is something that can only be felt by human beings who live in relationships with others in society. It's an inheritance. I think knowing it is necessary for living a life. We live in a fast changing world under capitalism. Although it's not even a story about material things and it may not feel important, I want to create art that can give people time to reflect on love for a moment.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your daily routine when working?
My first routine of the day is to write a dream journal as much as I can remember in the morning. I often dream of stories like movies. It has been my habit to write a dream journal since I was in middle school. It is in the form of a novel, drawing, or cartoon. At that time, it was difficult to immediately find the connection between dreams and artistic practice, but when I look back over time, the key to knowing what I really wanted to say or what was important to me is there. In addition, it has a great influence on imagining visually interesting scenes and making titles for works. Also, I love to walk, and coincidences I encounter while walking the street are also a part of the process. I pick up found objects and do mold casting, or I take a lot of pictures using an analogue camera and cell phone in daily life. Dreams, found objects, all photos I took become materials. Then, I create a work while happily arranging those images. Like this, my daily routine consists of a journal, a walk, and a running practice.
What is the essential element in your art?
It's anthropomorphizing. Subjects could be a chair, a blanket, or an unknown which is not human. Paradoxically, I want to tell stories about people without directly mentioning them. In order to anthropomorphize, I do not necessarily try to make it look like a person. I think it it similar to lighting a stage in a play. Imagine there is a chair on a stage. The moment a spotlight shines on it, the audience will fall into the illusion that the chair has become a character. I am trying to investigate moments like that and make these into my work. The objects are just placed naturally, but as the scene is covered with a frame called a sculpture or painting, they are illuminated. I believe that the strangeness when things that used to be silent get a voice is potential and that's important for my art.
In your opinion, what role does the artist have in society?
I don't know the specific role of an artist in society. I believe that people have their own will and missions no matter what they do, regardless of their field. Nevertheless, based on my experience, I think that if an artist can have a good influence in society, it is to share and sympathize with each intrinsic nature. I would like to quote from the book ‘Art of Loving’ by social psychologist, Erich Fromm. ‘It is true that we are all one, it is also true that each one of us is a unique entity, a cosmos by itself.’ I am delighted and comforted when I see pieces that reveal individual quirkiness. I believe that everyone has an irreplaceable individuality, and I hope they are revealed and understood through art.
