Nature onto Silk: Korean Eco Print Master Artist Kim Young-Nam Exhibition

APCC
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Exhibit date: May 7th – June 27th

Opening Reception: May 2nd , 5 pm- 6:30 pm at the APCC Jade Choe Gallery

About the Artist 김 영 남 (KIM YOUNG-NAM )

Kim Young Nam is a leading figure in Korea’s natural dyeing and textile arts, recognized for her ability to bridge traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistic expression. She holds a Master of Arts from the Graduate School of Arts at Dongshin University and currently serves as the Director of Nature 愛 Natural Dyeing Cultural Space, where she continues to explore and expand the creative possibilities of natural pigments. As a certified trainee of Korea’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage in Dyeing and an internationally acknowledged master of natural dyeing arts and culture, she has established a distinguished presence both in Korea and abroad.

In addition to her artistic practice, Kim is a Special Professor in the Department of Fashion Industry at Kunjang University. She has played a significant leadership role in the field as the Founding President of the Korea Natural Dyeing Instructor Association and as a Director of the Saetgol Indigo Dyeing Preservation Society, contributing to the preservation and transmission of traditional dyeing techniques.

Her work has been honored with major recognitions, including the Grand Prize at the Korea Natural Dyeing Cultural Product Exhibition and selection as a “MUSE” product at the National Museum of Korea. Through exhibitions, publications, workshops, and media appearances, Kim continues to promote the cultural and artistic value of natural dyeing to global audiences.

Curator’s Statement

This exhibition explores the quiet brilliance of Korean Myeongju silk, a material that carries centuries of tradition, craftsmanship, and cultural memory. Woven from the delicate threads of the silkworm, Myeongju embodies the Korean philosophy of harmony with nature an understanding that beauty emerges when human hands work in rhythm with the natural world.

The artist’s work presented here brings together natural dyeing and eco‑printing, techniques deeply rooted in Korean textile heritage. Using plant materials such as eucalyptus, indigo, persimmon, and seasonal leaves, the artist allows nature’s pigments to settle gently onto silk. The resulting impressions of soft gradients, organic silhouettes, and subtle layers of color are not merely decorative. They are traces of time, environment, and the intimate dialogue between nature and the maker.

Traditional Korean aesthetics the balance of emptiness and fullness, the quiet order of jogakbo patchwork, the symbolism of obangsaek (the five cardinal colors), and the meditative rhythm of handcraft resonate throughout this exhibition. These elements are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, revealing how tradition continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to its origins.

As curator, I hope this exhibition becomes a bridge between cultures, inviting viewers to experience the depth of Korean textile artistry and the sensitivity of its natural processes. The works on display encourage a slower gaze, a moment of reflection, and a renewed appreciation for the harmony between material, maker, and nature.

May this encounter with Korean silk and eco‑printing open a space for contemplation, connection, and the rediscovery of beauty shaped by both tradition and the living world.