k-art in london
an interview with soo hyun lee
What first brought you to London, and what were your first impressions of the city?
I first came to London to study for the Goldsmiths MFA Fine Art program. However, before that, I had wanted to study abroad for many years. I believed that living in a city that has many cultures and experiencing a new life in another country would benefit my artistic practice.
My first impression of London came a few years before I started studying. When I visited as a tourist, it was not my favorite. I thought the weather was too gloomy and wet. Nonetheless, I chose the city because I really wanted to study at Goldsmiths, and many people told me that London is extremely multicultural and the type of place you fall in love with having lived there. When I returned to London in 2022, I still remember how beautiful the drive was, and how a very special kind of joy, tinged with a slight nervousness, rose from my heart.
How would you describe the creative energy or art scene in London?
The art scene in London is vibrant, diverse and fast. I have lived in many cities before, and London is one of the busiest and fast-paced. So many people from around the world fly to London in pursuit of their dreams. Everyone here possesses strong aspirations. I have met countless people with exciting and amazing life stories, and those I never imagined I would get to know or even exist. London can be intense, but if you find the right community, it is a city where you can learn many things that other places cannot offer.
Have you collaborated with local artists, institutions, or communities?
Living in London as an artist has been a non-stop collaboration for me. For example, for my performance pieces, I Have Seen This Coming (2024), Care Language Performance (2024), and 10 Questions to be Asked (2023), I asked local artists and friends to be my performers. When it comes to performance pieces, I care a lot about involving performers from different backgrounds, cultures, and genders. I believe this is important as my work explores themes of power, trust, promises, relationships, and language. I am also very grateful to all my performers who trusted me and gave their love to my work. True to the Korean concept of 품앗이 (communal labor), I always appreciate them, and if they need me as a performer for their piece, I happily help.
The idea of helping each other for the sake of art is not limited to performance. We help in every aspect, from assisting with installations to making one another a hearty stew after a long day. The art scene can be tough sometimes, but I truly love how artists demonstrate care and show their language of love in funny and creative ways.
In terms of institutions, this year was special for me as I took part in many international exhibitions. I had my first solo exhibition at sothu in Zurich as well as institutional exhibitions at akku Kunstplattform in Lucerne and Kingston Museum in London. Artforum featured my artwork and exhibition at MEY Gallery in Los Angeles as the ‘MUST SEE’ exhibition for LA Art Week 2025. I was part of a group exhibition at NORITO Gallery in London. I also hosted a reading group session at Exhausted Feminist Hybrid Species about Korean women’s movements and Ueno Chizuko’s book, and participated in multiple interviews and reviews in Glimpse Magazine, Vibes and Vistas, SASAPARI, and the Kingston Courier. Last but not least, Goldsmiths chose my artwork as the cover image to advertise the Goldsmiths MFA Degree Show, 2025. Everything happened within a year of graduating from my MFA programme. I was so excited and grateful for every opportunity and collaboration this year; summing it up now feels unreal.
Has the city changed your artistic practice in any way?
Living in London made me think more about many topics. First is Language. The first year I came to London, I was intrigued by how language can shape our thoughts about abstract values that have a significant effect on individuals, such as love, care, shame, hope, and eternity. As a bilingual person, no matter how fluent I am in each language, there is a certain part of different cultures that I cannot fully understand without experiencing intimate relationships, vulnerable conversations, and sharing trust with people from those cultures. While this makes it sound like these parts are individualised, I have seen patterns from each culture proving how they respond to and understand abstract elements regarding important values in our society. My work Care Language Performance (2024) was based on this curiosity. For example, some aspects of language or acts of care we extend in Korea might be considered intense in the UK, but some things that are considered ideal caring actions in the UK might be regarded as dry in Korea. I was quite intrigued by how a society shares this concept of “ideal care”. While we never officially learn about this in schools and no social regulations exist for it, people still have a sense of social promise embedded in their perception.
Also, I have been thinking a lot about how people consider Asian women to be submissive and easy to convince. Before living in London, I thought about the violence towards Asian women. Back then, I focused more on expressing the pain of being violated. After living here for three years and 3 months, I have experienced many people that might not act or say something aggressive upfront but still assume that Asian women are vulnerable and will not argue back even when they find themselves in an unfair situation. My thoughts about this resulted in my latest series, My Soft Hands Became a Sword One Day (2025). This series presents portraits of women whose image seemingly appears sexualised; often used when it comes to fetishising Asian women. However, if you take a closer look, some details turn the tables completely. The woman in the painting, who seems like she is offering sexual service, is actually biting a dead arm, and her soft hands become a sword. Here, the women who used to be considered submissive and vulnerable have become the image that the predators themselves should be afraid of.
Have you observed any interest or reception toward Korean art in your city?
I definitely feel that people’s interest in Korean art is at an all-time high right now. Over the past few years, Korean culture has become increasingly popular in many countries. When I lived in the USA for 4 years when I was young, some people did not even know where Korea was, and if they did, they mostly talked about politics. I remember when I lived in Amsterdam in 2019, K-Pop was getting big in Europe, and Korean movies were starting to gain popularity. When I came to London in 2022, I was shocked by how interested people were in Korean culture and history. And yes, this popularity has made people more interested in Korean Artists as well. I believe there are many talented artists from Korea. We are a resilient nation that has been through many historical changes and traumas. I believe this is also a great source of inspiration for artists to create strong artworks that come from the heart. I am genuinely happy that Korean artists are getting more attention, and I hope the world can experience different perspectives from these artists and artworks that share stories that are less told.
If you had to describe London as a creative “material,” what would it be and why?
London would be a flying paintball. There are so many different colours of paint being thrown around at speed from everywhere. So, you have to prepare yourself for this and always be prepared to catch the right paintball for you. If you are ready for this, it will be a fun and vibrant experience.
Where in the city do you go when you need to recharge creatively?
My inspiration comes at random, so it is hard to choose specific places. My inspiration for essential pieces came from my shower, bed, and studio bean bag, as well as the park, pub, and phone calls. But every year it gets more and more unexpected. In one episode, I was at the Venice Biennale in 2022, and I saw this fantastic video artwork. I sat there and immersed myself, and suddenly I started feeling the inspiration for what would become my performance piece, 10 Questions to be Asked (2022). It is funny because the artwork’s theme and aesthetic had nothing to do with the piece. Anyway, I sat there for an hour, and when I left the exhibition space, I had already written the whole piece and immediately messaged my friend Connor, who I thought would be perfect to perform in it. Though he was new to this type of thing, Connor happily accepted my offer and has gone on to shine in many other of my performance pieces.
If a Korean artist were to visit London for a month, what would you recommend they do, see, or experience?
I recommend that they visit any of London’s big parks, since they are beautiful. Walking in the park and taking a stroll is a great way to feel the London breeze and enjoy the peace. I also recommend that they visit many exhibitions, not only at famous institutions but also at new and young art spaces. I would also like to suggest that they attend a private view in London. I know many people will have different opinions on this, but I think a private view will provide a quick impression of London’s art scene and how it works. They also give you free wine, so why not?
What are you currently working on?
I took a few weeks break after my first solo exhibition had finished. I am planning to work more on my silk painting practice, and I have been thinking of more performance works and exhibitions for this year. While I cannot disclose the details, I do have some exciting collaborations coming next year. So stay tuned!
How do you imagine your relationship with London evolving over time?
London is a place of irreplaceable beauty. As with all deep relationships, I first fell in love with the city’s charming parts, thinking this was the perfect place. Then I found out the tricky part, tried to figure out whether I can still be compatible with the struggles, and now I am in a stage of learning more about London through diverse cultural, historical, and sociological aspects. I am quite grateful that I got to know both sides of London. I would be blind if I only knew the lovely bits, and knowing the realistic picture makes me think about what London can offer me as well as what I can offer it.
