For Jin-me Yoon, how she became an artist still remains a mystery.
She graduated in psychology and humanities at the University of British Columbia at the age of 25. By then, she had already been accepted into a graduate school for psychology. But life certainly did not go as expected.
“I decided to follow my heart and go into art school as a first year again,” she said. “I thought, ‘If I don’t do this, I’ll always regret it.’ When I started, I realized that I am a fish in water called art! It happened just like that.”
She added, “I really found, through my love of art, that it is a great way to ask questions.”
Yoon is now an Associate Professor at the Visual Arts Department of Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts. And through her contribution to the conversation about identity and place, the Korean-Canadian artist is recognized across Canada and the world.
Truly like a fish taking to water, she embodies the power of art, playing a pivotal role in Canadian contemporary art. Her art touches on issues such as migration, colonization, and extractive economies.
And Jin-me Yoon certainly has plenty to say in her latest body of work, “Long Time So Long.” The exhibit will be held at the Art Gallery at the Evergreen Cultural Centre. She also has another exhibition titled “JIN-ME YOON: ABOUT TIME”, which opened in October at the Vancouver Art Gallery and can be viewed until March 5 from 10 am to 5 pm.
Yoon recalls seeing the works of Faye HeavyShield, a Kainai-Blood sculptor and installation artist and how she was so profoundly moved by what she saw.
“I saw an artwork by Faye HeavyShield” she said. “in which she, as a sculptor and an installation artist, had installed plasticine-like material coming down the wall and on the floor, there was a poem. When I saw that, it was like seeing a scar, the wound of our country. There’s a wound in the landscape in Korean history, which is so similar to Indigenous peoples in Canada. The artworks felt like [repairing and showing] that scars can heal. That spoke to me and showed me the power of art.”
Yoon said that art is not something one simply does when they have extra time – it’s part of everything and can speak to anything. She added that art can be found everywhere and that it’s up to us to draw connectivity to our soul.
“The power of art is that when you experience something that really speaks to you and moves you – and not just in your brain, like rational thoughts, but in your whole body and you feel it – that’s a very specific thing that only art can do,” she said.
Yoon said she hopes to enhance Korea’s diaspora engagement through art, wishing to lead Koreans to find a sense of belonging in art.
She also hopes to see more Korean artists in the spotlight.
Although she recognizes Koreans representing the community in various sectors such as stem, technology, and engineering, she said that there aren’t many Korean artists in Vancouver.
“I believe that the Korean community should be visible in every sphere,” she said. “Please support artists – it’s for the community but also for your own self. Feel art around you and open yourself up, while enjoying your time here.”