Winstead’s by Yoonmi Nam
Yoonmi Nam
Yoonmi Nam is a mid-career artist that is interested in the fleeting nature of the present moment and the common and extraordinary way we structure our surroundings within it. She investigates the beauty and the irony of the perpetual and inevitable passing of time. Engaging in the act of constantly arranging and rearranging her surroundings within the concept of the present
In her Artist Statement, Nam shares “I observe the things around me. I am deeply aware of the presence of these objects and things that we use, handle, display, and discard. I am drawn to them especially when they subtly suggest a contradicting sense of time that seems both temporary and lasting. There is truth and honesty in time, as all of us share the fate of impermanence. But the way we surround ourselves with collections of things, it is as if we feel a sense of permanence through these comforts and arrangements. In my work, I make images and forms that highlight everyday events, spaces, and objects, that while insignificant and mundane, allow us to notice both the stillness and the passage of time.”
Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Yoonmi received a B.F.A. degree in Printmaking from Hong-Ik University in Seoul, Korea. She moved to the U.S. to study at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she received an M.F.A. degree in Painting/Printmaking in 2000. Yoonmi has received numerous grants and awards to support her studio practice and travel. Some notable achievements include a Solo Exhibition Award from The Print Center in Philadelphia, MI-LAB Artist Residency Award in Japan, The Hall Center Creative Work Fellowship at The University of Kansas, and the Ngawang Choephel Fellowship from the U.S. State Department. Her work is in the collections of the RISD Museum, RI; Spencer Museum of Art, KS; and the Beach Museum of Art, KS; among others, and has been shown both nationally and internationally including countries such as Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Korea, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Bulgaria, Italy, Sweden, and Paraguay. Yoonmi has taught at RISD and Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, she teaches at the University of Kansas, where she has been a faculty member since 2001.
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