Meekyoung Shin Explained

Meekyoung Shin
Birth Place:Cheongju, South Korea
Nationality:South Korean
Education:Seoul National University, Slade School of Fine Art, Royal College of Art
Alma Mater:Seoul National University
Known For:Soap carved sculptures in Greco-Roman, Chinese, and Korean styles
Notable Works:Written in Soap: A Plinth Project, Translation Series, Toilet Project (Toilet Bodhisattva), Crouching Aphrodite
Style:Sculpture, soap carving
Website:https://www.meekyoungshin.com/

Meekyoung Shin (; b. 1967) is a South Korean sculptor who specializes in soap carving to create statues and other objects in Greco-Roman, Korean, and Chinese styles.

Early life and education

Born in Cheongju, South Korea in 1967, Shin completed her BFA and MFA at Seoul National University, then moved to London to do her MFA at the Slade School of Fine Art in 1995.[1] She completed her MFA in the ceramics and glass program at the Royal College of Art.[2] [3]

Style

The size of her work ranges from handheld size to towering sculptures, with one of her sculptures utilizing 50,000 bars of soap. Her methods include using plaster to cast elements, and then sculpting with replications of Greco-Roman sculpture styles,[4] Chinese ceramic styles, or Korean ceramic styles.[5] The use of scented soap is significant in her work as an added sensory experience in her exhibitions. In her exhibitions for Toilet Bodhisattva,[6] she cast small versions of a Buddha statue so that the viewer may experience the same material used in the exhibition.[7] For other Toilet Project works, she created statues of classical busts. Shin has cast parts of herself to make sculptures,[8] such as in her work Crouching Aphrodite.

Work

The material she uses is meant to call into question the nature of stability and the meaning in cultural contexts. The use of soap is meant to explore translation across cultures[9] and the passage of time.[10] She changed the features to evoke Asian features on her 2002 statue Crouching Aphrodite to challenge classical standards of beauty.[11] Her work is also sometimes painted, or formed with pieces missing to better evoke the cultures that the inspiration derives from.[12] She additionally uses materials such as fragrance, pigments, varnish, gold leaf, resin, and acrlyic in her work.

A statue of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland was removed in 1868, then replicated by Shin in soap (initially in clay);[13] the replication was installed on the same plinth in 2012 at Cavendish Square, and left exposed to the elements for over a year in the London rain until its removal in 2016.[14] [15] The statue, called Written in Soap: A Plinth Project,[16] was meant to be there for a year, and the dissolution of the material is meant to refer to changing meaning of statues and changing perceptions of history.[17] [18] [19] The soap was scented, vegetable-based, and had a skeletal support attached to the base holding the sculpture upright.[20] This work has been cited in investigations into colonial legacy in public spaces.[21]

Her work has been exhibited at Princessehof Ceramics Museum,[22] the National Centre for Craft & Design,[23] Kukje Gallery,[24] [25] Art Basel,[26] the Arko Art Center in Seoul,[27] the Barakat Gallery,[28] the Philadelphia Museum of Art,[29] CR Collective in west Seoul,[30] the Saatchi Gallery,[31] the Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art,[32] the Mongin Art Center,[33] and Haunch of Venison.[34] [35] Other versions of Written in Soap: A Plinth Project were also installed at the National Museum of Contemporary Art and at the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei.[36] [37]

Exhibition

Solo Exhibition

Group Exhibition

Series and projects

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Classics in Soap: An Interview with Meekyoung Shin . The Jugaad Project . 22 July 2020.
  2. Book: Hill . Professor Alex . Centennials: The 12 Habits of Great, Enduring Organisations . 15 June 2023 . Random House . 978-1-5291-5917-2 . en.
  3. Web site: 신미경 – 국립아시아문화전당 디지털가이드 . www.acc-exhibition.com . Asia Culture Center.
  4. Book: Kennedy-Schtyk . Beccy . Imaging Migration in Post-War Britain: Artists of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese Heritage . 21 April 2022 . Routledge . 978-1-000-58385-4 . 136 . en.
  5. Book: Grasskamp . Anna . Gerritsen . Anne . Transformative Jars: Asian Ceramic Vessels as Transcultural Enclosures . 1 December 2022 . Bloomsbury Publishing . 978-1-350-27745-8 . en.
  6. Art of Asia Acquired by North American Museums, 2006-2008 . Archives of Asian Art . 2009 . 59 . 163 . 40863704 . 0066-6637.
  7. Book: Bolens . Guillemette . Kinesic Intelligence in the Humanities . 20 December 2023 . Taylor & Francis . 978-1-003-83575-2 . en.
  8. Book: Art Papers Magazine . 2003 . Atlanta Art Papers, Incorporated . 53 . en.
  9. Book: The Tribune . 2007 . Tribune publications, Limited . 25 . en.
  10. Web site: Kwon . Mee-yoo . Shin Mee-kyoung's world made of soap . koreatimes . The Korea Times . en . 24 July 2018.
  11. Book: Scott . Jac . Language of Mixed-Media Sculpture . 30 April 2014 . Crowood . 978-1-84797-722-9 . en.
  12. Web site: Sherwin . Skye . Artist of the week 131: Meekyoung Shin . The Guardian . 25 March 2011.
  13. Book: Tunzelmann . Alex von . Heldendämmerung: Wie moderne Gesellschaften mit umstrittenen Denkmälern umgehen . 14 June 2022 . Goldmann Verlag . 978-3-641-29067-2 . de.
  14. Book: Wignall . Katie . Look Up London: Discover the details you have never noticed before in 10 walks . 26 May 2022 . Quercus Publishing . 978-1-5294-1943-6 . en.
  15. Web site: Cavendish Square 5: the Duke of Cumberland's statue UCL The Survey of London . blogs.ucl.ac.uk . Survey of London.
  16. Web site: Seeking a Cavendish square deal . Evening Standard . The Standard . en . 30 November 2012.
  17. Book: Brandon . David . Brooke . Alan . Secrets of Central London's Squares . 15 August 2016 . Amberley Publishing Limited . 978-1-4456-5665-6 . en.
  18. Book: Chesher . Jack . London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER . 9 May 2023 . Frances Lincoln . 978-0-7112-7755-7 . 99 . en.
  19. News: McGinty . Stephen . Perfumed effigy of 'Butcher' Duke raises a stink in the Highlands . The Scotsman . The Scotsman Publications . 8 July 2012.
  20. Web site: Written in Soap . thelondonphile . The Londonphile . en . 15 August 2012.
  21. Book: Messham-Muir . Kit . Cvoro . Uroš . The Trump Effect in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture: Populism, Politics, and Paranoia . 29 December 2022 . Bloomsbury Publishing . 978-1-350-28730-3 . 101 . en.
  22. Web site: EKWC@Princessehof: Meekyoung Shin - Exhibitions See And Do - Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics . princessehof.nl . Keramiek Museum Princessehof . nl.
  23. Web site: Meekyoung Shin at the National Centre for Crafts and Design . Hanmi Gallery.
  24. Web site: Meekyoung Shin - Translation Haunch of Venison, London . m.kukjegallery.com . Kukje Gallery.
  25. Book: Jackson . Ben . Museums & Galleries: Displaying Korea's Past and Future . 27 July 2015 . Seoul Selection . 978-1-62412-040-4 . en.
  26. Book: Art/Basel/Miami Beach: The International Art Show . 2009 . Hatje Cantz . 978-3-7757-2431-9 . en.
  27. News: With soap, a look at how time ages artifacts : Artist Meekyoung Shin's works capture how sculptures evolve . koreajoongangdaily.joins.com . JoongAng Daily Co. . en . 23 July 2018.
  28. Web site: Gowman . Philip . Gallery visit: Shin Meekyoung's Weather, at Barakat Gallery London Korean Links . londonkoreanlinks.net . London Korean Links . 13 November 2019.
  29. Web site: Iadonisi . Nick Iadonisi . Han . Nydia . The Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibits a stunning display of Korean culture . 6abc Philadelphia . WPVI-TV Philadelphia . en . 9 November 2023.
  30. Web site: London-based Korean artist Meekyoung Shin holds exhibit at CR Collective . koreajoongangdaily.joins.com . JoongAng Daily Co. . en . 6 May 2021.
  31. Web site: Elbaor . Caroline . 5 Emerging Artists to Discover at London's START Art Fair . Artnet News . Artnet Worldwide Corporation . 14 September 2017.
  32. Web site: Meekyoung Shin visualizes time with soap . koreajoongangdaily.joins.com . JoongAng Daily Co. . en . 5 March 2019.
  33. Web site: Chung . Shinyoung . Meekyoung Shin . Artforum . 1 April 2008.
  34. Allington . Edward . Meekyoung Shin . Frieze . en . 1 June 2011. 140 .
  35. Calendar . The Burlington Magazine . 2011 . 153 . 1296 . 212–216 . 23055975 . 0007-6287.
  36. Web site: Gowman . Philip . Meekyoung Shin shortlisted for Korea Artist Prize 2013 London Korean Links . londonkoreanlinks.net . 21 July 2013.
  37. Web site: Written in Soap: A Plinth Project 2013-2014 . yiarts.com . YIART.
  38. Web site: Meekyoung Shin's beautiful sculptures – Made entirely from soap . publicdelivery.org . Public Delivery.
  39. Web site: Haygarth . Stuart . We saw: Translation by Meekyoung Shin The Womens Room . www.thewomensroomblog.com . THE WOMEN'S ROOM . 27 February 2011.
  40. Web site: Meekyoung Shin . Glasstress . it-IT.
  41. Web site: Allington . Edward . Korean Artist Project . www.koreanartistproject.com . The Korean Art Museum Association.
  42. Web site: Meekyoung Shin's Cabinet of Curiosities in Lincolnshire London Korean Links . londonkoreanlinks.net . London Korean Links . 24 July 2014.
  43. Web site: Meekyoung Shin Weathering Project: Resin 001-2 (2023) Available for Sale Artsy . www.artsy.net . Artsy . en.

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