Boston College Global Korea Project Presents...

Event description

In this artist talk, Prof. Soojin J. Kim traces the intertwined narratives of personal history, cultural transformation, and artistic interpretation shaped by the legacy of the Korean War. Through family stories and symbolic imagery drawn from sweets and consumer goods, Kim reflects on how trauma, survival, and memory evolve within Korea’s shifting cultural landscape—from ancient spiritual traditions and Japanese colonization to postwar modernization and American influence.

Her works, including the Oreo Field installations and the Cracked Oreos drawings, use familiar confections as metaphors for conflict, consumption, and remembrance. By juxtaposing the innocence of sweetness with the weight of historical memory, Kim invites viewers to contemplate how everyday materials can carry the emotional residue of war. This lecture reveals how art becomes a vessel for both personal and collective healing—transforming the bitterness of history into something unexpectedly tender and reflective.

Prof. Soojin Kim

Soojin J. Kim is an interdisciplinary artist and educator combining her engineering background with digital and mixed-media art to explore themes of cultural memory. She is an Associate Professor at Eastern Connecticut State University and has participated in international residencies, including MASS MoCA. Her work is shown in galleries including Clark Art Gallery, Tao Water Art Gallery, and Stephanie Breitbard Fine Arts.

Sponsors and Co-Sponsors

This event is sponsored by the Boston College Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office and the Institute for the Liberal Arts, and it is co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Program, International Studies Program, and Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies.