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Meet So Youn Kim (abstract expressionism).
So Youn Kim - abstract artist
So Youn Kim is a multifaceted artist, researcher, and intellectual whose work blends creative expression with academic rigour, resulting in a unique and thought-provoking approach to abstract art.
Visit her website here.
In our interview together, we explored her work and I opened a door on what makes her tick by creating her fantasy cultural year.
Specialising in postmodern contemporary abstract expressionism, So Youn’s paintings are more than visual representations; they are deeply rooted in her intellectual background, cultural journey, and philosophical musings.
Her artistic journey began at a young age in Seoul, Korea, where a visit to a Picasso exhibition left a profound impact on her creative vision. That early experience sparked a lifelong passion for art and an enduring fascination with abstract expressionism, a style that allows her to explore the tension between intellect and emotion, structure and spontaneity.
At the age of 14, So Youn relocated to Canada, a move that added a multicultural dimension to her artistic and intellectual identity. Immersed in diverse cultural and academic settings, she developed a keen interest in blending her experiences with her art, exploring how cultural, philosophical, and social themes can manifest through abstract visual forms.
This cultural fluidity informs her creative process, enabling her to synthesise multiple influences, from Korean heritage and Western philosophical thought to her engagement with international art movements. As a result, her work transcends geographical and disciplinary boundaries, inviting viewers into a global conversation about art, culture, and meaning.
So Youn’s artistic process is characterised by spontaneity, intuition, and an interplay of various mediums. Working primarily with acrylics, oil pastels, and collaged materials such as newspaper and fabric, she builds her paintings through layers, adding, reworking, and refining until the piece feels complete. She describes her method as quick and improvisational, driven more by instinct than by a premeditated plan.
This fluid, organic approach stands in contrast to more rigid, analytical methods often associated with artistic creation, emphasising instead the importance of the artist’s emotional and sensory engagement with the work. For So Youn, art is a form of synthesis, melding the visual, intellectual, and material into a cohesive whole.
Influenced by a wide range of artists, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, René Magritte, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, So Youn draws inspiration from their ability to break boundaries, challenge conventional aesthetics, and encourage deep reflection in their audience.
Picasso’s Cubism and African art-inspired cosmopolitanism, Matisse’s use of colour and line, Magritte’s surreal and intellectual provocations, and Basquiat’s raw, unrefined aesthetic, all of these elements contribute to So Youn’s distinctive style, which she terms “garbage beauty,” where unsophistication gives rise to sophistication.
So Youn’s work, however, is not just about visual stimulation; it is about intellectual exploration. She engages deeply with philosophical texts, particularly those of Michel Foucault, Marcus Aurelius, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Foucault’s discourse on culture and power, Aurelius’ Stoic reflections on order and clarity, and Emerson’s transcendentalist ideas of individualism and innovation all underpin her creative philosophy.
This intellectual engagement informs not only the creation of her artwork but also the way she frames and describes it, using textual analysis to further explore the layers of meaning in her visual compositions.
In her view, art is a thinking process as much as it is a creative one. This perspective sets her apart, as she blends her visual art with writing, offering her audience both an emotional and intellectual entry point into her work.
Her paintings are accompanied by rich, qualitative analyses that draw from social science and anthropology, inviting viewers to think critically about what they see and how they interpret it. For So Youn, art is not about providing answers but about asking questions and sparking dialogue.
Beyond her artistic pursuits, So Youn is also a dedicated researcher in international affairs and an advisor in public policy and analysis, bringing her intellectual curiosity and analytical skills into broader societal discussions.
Her multidisciplinary background allows her to bridge the worlds of art and academia, using both as platforms for exploring issues related to culture, politics, and global affairs. She is fluent in English, French, and Korean, further reflecting her ability to navigate diverse contexts and engage with audiences from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
So Youn’s work has been exhibited in various settings, from high school art studios to larger gallery spaces, and she continues to expand her artistic practice.
Her use of large canvases allows her to fully express the scale and depth of her ideas, pushing her beyond the limitations of smaller, more easily stored works. She views Venice, with its rich history of art and culture, as an ideal setting for her work, its international art exhibitions providing the perfect platform for her to engage with a global audience.
In summary, So Youn Kim is not just an abstract artist; she is a thinker, a researcher, and a cultural synthesiser. Her work reflects a deep engagement with both the visual and intellectual realms, blending creativity and academic insight into a powerful form of expression.
Whether through her large-scale abstract paintings or her thoughtful analyses of art’s role in society, So Youn invites her audience to see the world, and art itself, through a new, more expansive lens.
Our podcast interview:
Some of So Youn's work. Find more on Instagram.
You can find So Youn on LinkedIn here, on Instagram here, reach her by email here and her website is here.
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Chief Culture Vulture
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