HYOIN KIM

"The imagery in this body of my work focuses on modern influences on traditional Korean fashion. By combining life-size metal screen sculptures of traditional women's clothing with miniature castings of toys, jeans, dresses, purses, shoes, I am representing the culture clash between Western modernization and traditional fashion. This also implies a shift in traditional values. In these pieces, I use mass-produced American "fashion" toys as the models for my castings. Toys are among the first western objects encountered by children in Korea and exert a strong influence on cultural attitudes."

"When the pieces are first viewed, they seem to be traditional Korean outfits, but up close, the cast porcelain elements cease to be read as patterning and become visible as western miniature toy castings."