Bella Yongok Kim
NWDC is pleased to share the art and ideas of Bella Yongok Kim for our NWDC Artist Interview.
Bella Yongok Kim established a diverse practice across installation and textile, incorporating her influence in Korean domestic textile work Jogakbo, with conscious engagement with the environment. Her deeply personal and socially engaged work reflects on identity, migration, and the environment and considers a more sustainable future through caring for the everyday. After earning her MFA and BFA in Fiber Art and Design from the Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, she worked as a teaching artist across Seoul and was an active member of a fiber artist group and the Korean Craft Council.
Her artwork has been exhibited extensively, including the Bainbridge Island Art Museum, Whatcom Art Museum, and Northwest Quilt and Fiber Art Museum, among others, and her work is included in and collected by the Burke Museum, WA. She is the recipient of the Artist Trust GAP Award (2023), Southwest Merit Award(2023), People’s Choice from the Bainbridge Arts & Crafts (2021), and Honorable Mention Award (2022), and the National Special Art Award at the Korean Craft and Art Competition in Seoul, Korea (1990). In 2024, Her works will be exhibited at Beacon window, the Bainbridge Island Art Museum, WA.
How were you introduced to art?
When I was young, I would often mimic my two older sisters as they sketched or painted. Excelling in art classes at school was a regularity for me, and I frequently crafted Christmas cards or small handmade gifts. As time went on, I pursued a major in Industrial design and fabric dyeing, both during my undergraduate and graduate studies in art.
Where do you find inspiration when creating new work?
Sometimes I draw inspiration from nature, but my recent works have been related to my roots in Korean culture and tradition. I also rely on imaginative scenarios and images accumulated from my experiences as an immigrant.
What do you consider your greatest artistic achievement?
I would say my greatest artistic achievement is not any specific accomplishment. It is rather the process of engaging as an artist in sustainable works that contributes to a better world.
Bella Kim, Jogakbo Journey: Save Big, 2022, 96"x 96". Recycled plastic packaging & fabric, yarn, thread.
What is the quality you most like in an artist?
I believe it's freedom. Freedom to imagine, freedom for boundless expression, freedom to dissent and so on. One can discover novelty through freedom.
Which living artist do you most admire?
As I began exploring fiber arts, sculptor, captivated by the remarkable creations of Magdalena Abakanowicz, a Polish sculptor and fiber artist who recently passed away, and realized how art can empower individuals during challenging times. While I have deep admiration for many talented artists, I hold a special regard for my teacher, Yeonsoon Chang, who is a pioneering figure in fiber arts in Korea. Observing her closely and witnessing her continual growth and dedication to advancing her work as both a fiber artist and craftsman is truly inspiring.
Bella Kim, Jogakbo Journey: Embracing Love, 2023,
29"x 29". Recycled plastic packaging & fabric, yarn, thread.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
In the past, I never thought about changing anything about myself. However, lately, I've been feeling the desire to improve my English skills to better express my ideas.
What is your most treasured possession?
When I was asked in class to bring my most cherished possession in case of a fire, I chose my diary, which I've been writing in since I got married. Now that everything is stored on the computer, I guess I should say my computer.
Who has had a significant influence over your work?
As mentioned above, the person who has had the greatest impact on me is my college teacher and colleague, Yeonsoon Chang. Especially in the early days of fiber arts in Korea, she pioneered the field. While we were members of a fiber artist group, I received great inspiration from her. Even after I moved to the United States, she has always been my mentor who kept me awake.
Another person who guided me towards focusing on recycling materials was Jade Trevere in Puyallup. Her dedicated life to conservation, gladly becoming my friend to teach me English, has influenced me to explore the sustainable world and art.
Bella Kim, Mindful Whispers, 2024, 51"x 71", Recycled plastic packaging & fabric, yarn, thread
How has your studio practice changed?
When I first came to the United States, I created small pieces in a small space—brooches and bags, like ornaments. Now, the empty nest that my kids left has become my studio in the basement of my house, where I gradually started attempting larger works.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
That is a tough question. Let me paraphrase something I heard from a monk that resonated with me: Happiness is when there is no suffering.
Bella Kim, A Dream of Spring, 2020, 32"x 64", Recycled plastic packaging & fabric, yarn, thread
