Youngsam

Kim

I was born and raised in Busan. My hearing was damaged for unknown reasons when I was two years old, and so I started learning to draw. Drawing has been an important means of communication; it’s allowed me to show others how I think and feel. After graduating high school, I went to New York City to study art. I studied Fine Art at SVA, but I ended up changing my major to photography. With photography, instead of staying in one place, I could go freely from place to place. If I came across an arresting scene, I could capture it instantly—I could preserve that moment forever. It was these points that drew me to photography.

After graduating college, I traveled to different countries around the world. However, as someone who had only lived in large cities like New York and Busan, I was extremely shocked by the impoverished areas in Africa and Asia. In particular, as someone who lives only by sight, one night in an impoverished and remote area—without any light—made me feel and think a lot about things that can’t be expressed with words. Since then, I’ve become interested in the world I’m living in now and the people who are living through this same age with me; and this interest has become the subject of my works: the ‘City Series’.

People usually only tell me the surface-level fragments that are easily spotted—excluding the hidden things, the deeper things, on the inside. They do this because they believe that, if they were to tell me those kinds of things, that I wouldn’t understand because of my disability. Though it’s, sadly, partially true, if they speak slowly and clearly, I can understand. Thankfully however, despite my disability, God has given me eyes that are more sensitive than others. And through these eyes, I can hear the voices that are hidden within people’s expressions and actions. In my opinion, those voices are voices from the heart that can be heard from anywhere in the world, regardless of language, age, culture, or skin color. And through those hidden voices, I can see more than just what someone says. 

I wish that others could see those hidden voices, too. And I wish that others could think about the world we’re all living in, and think about our lives, from a different angle. That is what I want the world to hear through these works—my story.

Education

2002 School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, B.F.A.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024 The World We Live In

Gallery We;R in LOTTE, Gyeonggi-do, Korea(May 01 to May 31)

2024 The things we want to show
Pines Gallery, Seoul, Korea (February 07 to March 15)

2015   Dark Cities
Emmanuel Fremin Gallery, New York(Chelsea), NY, US (February & March)

2013  A World in the City IV
 Emmanuel Fremin Gallery, New York(Chelsea), NY, US (April & May)

2012 A World in the City II & III
Emmanuel Fremin Gallery, New York(Chelsea), NY, US (May & June)

2011 The sound of my heart & A World in the City III
Traveling exhibition:
Milal Museum, Seoul, Korea (December)
Ibis Hotel, Busan, Korea (December)
Incheon Korea and China Cultural Center, Incheon, Korea (October)
Woobong Art Museum, Daegu, Korea (October)

2010 A World in the City II
Traveling exhibition:
Milal Museum, Seoul, Korea (February)
Woobong Art Museum, Daegu, Korea (April)

2009/2010 A World in the City
Traveling exhibition:
KCC Gallery, Englewood, NJ, US (August, 2010)
Incheon Cultural Arts Center, Incheon, Korea (March, 2009)
Won Gallery, Kwangju, Korea (February, 2009)

2008/2010 We are lovely sign language
Traveling exhibition:
Olleh KT & Severance Health System, Seoul, Korea (September)
Milal Exhibition, New York, NY, US (August)

2008  City of Life & The Power of Serving
Hun Gallery, New York, NY, US (March)

2007 The Power of Serving
Milal Exhibition, New York, NY, US (August)

2006  My Life
Milal Exhibition, New Jersey, US (August)

2005 Photography Exhibition
Milal Exhibition, New Jersey, US (August)

Dual Exhibition

2017   Concrete Jungle (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (November& December)

2016   Civilized & Wild (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (June & July)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 

2021  The Connection of Senses (Daejeon Museum of Art)(Creative Center), Deajeon, Korea(February 23 to May 23)

2020  5rd International Disability Human Rights Exhibition (Maru Art Center), Korea(Seoul) (December)

2019  Metamorphosis: changing climate (Hearst Building), New York, NY, US (February 11 to September 30)

2018  The Signature Exhibition (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (September 13 to December 31)

Art Stage Singapore (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Singapore(January)

2015   Contemporary Istanbul (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Turkey(Istanbul) (November)

Affordable Art Fair (Hong Kong Art Fair) (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), China(Hong Kong) (May)

Mosaic (Korean-New York Artist Group) (Sia Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (September)

3rd International Disability Human Rights Exhibition (Gongpyeong Gallery), Korea(Seoul) (December)

2014  CONTEXT fair   (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Miami, FL, US(December)

Contemporary Istanbul (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Turkey(Istanbul) (November)

Affordable Art Fair (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (September)

ArtHamptons (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Bridgehampton, NY, US (July)

Queens Museum of Art (the AHL Foundation), New York, US (June & July) 

Downtown Art Fair (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), New York, US (May)

Shades of Time (Korean Culture Service New York and AHL Foundation), New York, US (May)

Affordable Art Fair (Hong Kong Art Fair) (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Hong Kong, China (March)

art wynwood the International Fine Art Fair (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Miami, FL, US (February)

2013   Contemporary Istanbul (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Turkey(Istanbul) (November)

Affordable Art Fair (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (October)

ArtHamptons the International Fine Art Fair (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Bridgehampton, NY, US (July)

2012   SCOPE MIAMI (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Miami, FL, US (December)

“CUTTING EDGE” Master of Contemporary Art, Al Duomo, Florence, Italy (December)

Endings and Beginnings, Viridian Gallery, New York(Chelsea), NY, US (December)

The Night of Artists, Press Center Gallery, Palisades Park, NJ, US (December)

Affordable Art Fair (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (October)

PHOTOPLUS EXPO, Javits Convention Center, New York, NY, US (October)

New Viridian Artists, Viridian Gallery, New York(Chelsea), NY, US (September)

 SUMMER GROUP EXHIBIT, Sol Art Gallery, Dublin, Ireland (August)

The Art of Photography Show, Online Exhibition, US (August)

ArtHamptons the International Fine Art Fair (Emmanuel Fremin Gallery), Bridgehampton, NY, US (July)

Natures Expressions, Exhibition Without Walls, Online juried exhibition, US (March)

2011  New Viridian Artists And Affiliates (Viridian Gallery), New York(Chelsea), NY, US (March & April)

 Resonance, La Guardia Community College and Performing Arts Center, LIC, NY, US (June)

2009 /2010 Queens Museum of Art (Korean Culture Service New York)(Faces & Facts), Queens, NY, US (December-February)

2008 Artexpo (Javits Convention Center), New York, NY, US (February & March)

2005/2006  Cross Puzzle (Art Com Center Gallery), Fort Lee, NJ, US (December & January

Biennial

2012  Ireland’s Inaugural Dublin Biennial-International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Dublin, Ireland (June)

Event

2018  Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

(In observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities), New York, NY, US(December)