Meet Se Young Yim | Fine Artist & Sculptor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Se Young Yim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Se Young, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
It’s because I’m confident in being international. I was born in South Korea, studied Japanese and fashion, and came to the United States, to New York City, to study art after graduating from college in South Korea. I’ve traveled to many countries, but I’d never been to study for an extended period of time, especially 14 hours away from my hometown by plane. Everything was new to me, and being a foreigner felt like a weakness, but now, after all these years, I feel that being a foreigner has actually helped me to work internationally. I am a visual artist and sculptor based in New York City, and my work has been exhibited in many internationally renowned venues, including London, UK; Berlin, Germany; Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea; and New York and Philadelphia, USA. I think the reason I have been able to exhibit in so many different countries is that I have lived as a foreigner, which has given me an intersectional and deep understanding of different cultures from both Korean and foreign perspectives. I have incorporated this into my art practice. In recognition of my unique artistic perspective, I was selected for an artist residency program at GlogauAIR in Germany in January 2023. Hundreds of artists wanted to go, so it was a real honor to be selected. When I arrived, I had a solo showcase and later a public opening of my workspace, which was amazing, with over 400 people in attendance. I was able to speak to such a diverse audience, which I attribute to my artistic sublimation of the sense of strangeness I felt in different cities. I am grateful for all my experiences so far and hope to continue to be an international artist.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always been interested in comics, fiction, and fashion, and I’ve naturally always loved telling stories with visuals. In middle school, I would periodically draw short comics to show my friends, and in high school, I would rework my school uniform and decorate my sneakers. Based on my interest, I majored in fashion as an undergraduate. However, I took a class on contemporary art as a seminar and was completely blown away. It suggested MoMa as a place to must-see contemporary art, and I decided to go to New York. So, I got an internship in New York during the summer vacation and visited many art museums and galleries. Then, I found myself I had to come to New York again to study art. That’s the beginning of my art story. I had to change everything important to me by studying art in the United States: the country, the language, the culture, and even my major. Everything was new and exciting, but it was also difficult to adjust. I was in the master’s Fine Arts program at the School of Visual Arts and was one of only three in my class who hadn’t majored in art before. On the first day of class, my friends talked about the materials they were working with, some of which I had never heard of before, and it freaked me out. But I’m not afraid to learn new things, and even now, I have a good teacher named YouTube! I could learn new art knowledge; it was hard and exciting at the same time. After that adjustment period, I worked in the gallery, did residencies in Europe, and worked in various art studios after school. I think the constant exposure to new environments has been a huge factor in my professional growth. I currently make and exhibit sculptures and paintings in New York. I have some upcoming shows in Brooklyn this week and in March, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had so far.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Haha, my town is always a popular destination! I have a lot of experience with my friends and family visiting New York – even in a few days, I have friends coming to visit… Hmm… It depends on personality, but my favorite places in New York are the art galleries and museums! New York has a lot of cultural highlights. For example, the Broadway shows are amazing! The same goes for the art exhibitions. I love the New Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the MoMA, the Whitney Museum, and the Guggenheim. If you have time, it’s romantic to go to the Dia Beacon in Upstate by train, and after you’ve seen all those exhibitions, my friends will probably say, “Is there anything else I can visit more?” And I’ll go and see the galleries in the Chelsea area, and then I’ll walk the High Line up there, and then I’ll go to a cafe and have a cup of coffee. It will be a perfect day. Then, the next day, I like to go to the galleries in Chinatown, which is my favorite because I can meet various young artists and the food is good. Then, I like to take the subway to Brooklyn. You can probably have a beautiful view of the river on the train, and you can enjoy chill vibes in Dumbo or Williamsburg.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As always, I am grateful to my family, especially from their point of view, I think it was not easy for them to support their daughter to change her major twice and go to the United States to study art, although from a conservative point of view, they doubted that art would provide a stable income, but they recognized my desire to study and actively supported me. I am grateful to them. Other than that, it’s people I met when I came to New York. I met people I love, and I’ve been able to talk about art with them, musicians, painters, and actors, and I’ve been lucky enough to learn different things from them.

Website: seyoungyim.com

Instagram: @surrealmantis