“Weakness Becomes Strength”: Local Artist Hyun Jung Kim Inspires

NOVAarts Annandale and the AAPI Center hosted local artist Hyun Jung Kim on November 17. In her presentation, Kim discussed how her life experiences and identity, especially as an immigrant AAPI woman, converge with her artwork in terms of both content and medium. For example, Kim’s work “Blind in Art” on display in the AAPI Center, utilizes pearls as a metaphor for the hardships that immigrant AAPI communities face. Over time, what is created from an irritant, the pearl, becomes beautiful and precious. At the end of her presentation, Kim invited the audience to engage in her Wearable Sculptures work by having them wear her sculpted crowns. The crowns are part of her project #ContemporaryKing. By wearing the crowns, Kim aims to remind everyone of their inherent value as individuals, who are also part of a collective humanity.  

NOVAarts Annandale and the AAPI Center would like to thank Hyun Jung Kim for her uplifting and informative presentation! More information about Kim and her art can be found on her website: https://www.hjkimstudio.com/. 

Submitted by:
Heather Moser, AAPI Learning Resources Center, HMoser@nvcc.edu