STEPHANIE SEUNGMIN KIM: THE STORIES WE CARRY

Talent: Dr. Stephanie Seungmin Kim. Photographer: Reinhardt Kenneth.

Dr. Stephanie Seungmin Kim has built an international career that resists a single title. A curator, writer, filmmaker and creative director, she has produced more than 80 exhibitions across 22 cities. She has also worked with around 500 artists. Her path has taken her from Seoul to London and New York, with collaborations spanning leading cultural institutions worldwide. For this Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam portrait, Kim steps into the frame herself, surrounded by sculptural fashion, sharp shadows and unexpected forms.

Top, skirt and corset: Diana M Putri. Necklace and earrings: Alexis Bittar. Millinery: Kat and Clarese.

HARPER’S BAZAAR VIETNAM (HBZVN): Your career has moved across curating, writing, filmmaking and cultural diplomacy. What connects these forms of expression? What do you ultimately hope your work can contribute to contemporary culture?

DR. STEPHANIE SEUNGMIN KIM: I really love this question because it touches on a simple but profound truth: we are all storytellers. Humans are wired to listen, share and learn. We do not necessarily connect through a particular format. We connect through the stories that shape our shared cultural experience.

That is a rather elaborate way of saying that I begin with the story. The medium reveals itself along the way. I believe in a simple principle: get the story straight. Of course, that is easier said than done.

Top, bottom and sculpture: DianJin. Necklace, bracelet and ring: Alexis Bittar.

In our connected world of short attention spans, we need stories more than ever. A good story is precious and powerful. Format also matters. A good story combines information, art and a little magic. Increasingly, the best stories unfold across several media and forms of expression.

My recent New York exhibition, UNSEEN, addressed the difficult subject of North Korean women’s rights. Its complexity required documentary film, live performance and the work of 17 artists offering global perspectives. It also brought in insights from NGOs and activists.

I believe the exhibition succeeded because it approached the subject from many directions. People became genuinely engaged. Instead of spending ten minutes walking through the exhibition, visitors stayed for an average of 45 minutes. Now, that is storytelling.

Top, bottom and sculpture: DianJin. Necklace, bracelet and ring: Alexis Bittar.

HBZVN: Having organized exhibitions across 22 cities and worked with artists from many cultural backgrounds, how have you seen the position of Asian art change internationally? Is Asia beginning to shape the global conversation rather than simply participate in it?

DR. STEPHANIE SEUNGMIN KIM: I have lived most of my life in Europe and now New York. Yet I will always be a daughter of Korea. I am proud of that, and I am also protective of it.

Korea has become a major exporter of art and culture. I see its influence every day in New York, from fashion and music to film and food. One reason for this phenomenon is Korea’s dedication to tradition, combined with an openness to Western thought.

Dress: Kuai Li. Millinery: Kat and Clarese. Earrings: Alexis Bittar. Shoes: JW Pei.

Rather than rejecting cultural influences from the West, Korea made them its own. We embraced what we appreciated and added it to what we already knew.

I recently curated New York New Ink, an exhibition of Korean ink traditions in New York. It embodied this approach. All 12 artists had deep connections to Korean ink traditions, from calligraphy to line drawing. Yet they worked in contemporary styles. In essence, they were modernizing the ink tradition. Much of that change drew inspiration from the West, particularly America and New York.

Dress: Kuai Li. Millinery: Kat and Clarese. Earrings: Alexis Bittar. Shoes: JW Pei.

HBZVN: Vietnam’s contemporary art scene is developing rapidly. A new generation of artists, collectors, galleries and cultural spaces is emerging. What potential do you see in Vietnam? What could help Vietnamese artists achieve stronger and more lasting international recognition?

DR. STEPHANIE SEUNGMIN KIM: There are many parallels between Vietnam and Korea. Both countries have strong cultural and artistic heritages. Both also have long histories shaped by occupation, which I believe can strengthen the determination to preserve that heritage.

As post-war Korea rebuilt its economy, its cultural legacy was revitalized alongside everything else. These are still relatively early days for Korea internationally, but our presence is being felt.

Jacket and dress: Moon Chang. Gold rose brooch: Alexis Bittar. Shoes: JW Pei.

Vietnam is undergoing a similar development. A generation of artists, many born shortly after the war, is gaining international attention. Danh Vo has presented installations at institutions including MoMA and the Guggenheim. Tiffany Chung has also gained recognition for her photographic and video work. Even established Vietnamese artists, such as painter Nguyễn Thanh Bình, have become popular in the West.

However, Vietnam remains underrepresented internationally. There is significant potential for Vietnamese artists to share their work and ideas with wider audiences.

Vietnam is also making progress in bringing international art and culture into the country. It has become an increasingly important market. Events such as ANNAM and Photo Hanoi have been well attended. Next year, VIAE, the first government-sponsored art exhibition, will feature thousands of artists and more than 300 galleries.

Dress: Kiki Zuo at Eclipz Studio. Earrings: Kat and Clarese. Rings: Alexis Bittar.

HBZVN: Many of your projects explore memory, identity and histories that are overlooked or forgotten. In a rapidly changing world, what responsibility do artists and curators have to protect cultural memory and bring unseen stories into public view?

DR. STEPHANIE SEUNGMIN KIM: You really did your homework on me! My doctoral thesis, my second film and many of my international exhibitions have explored this subject.

Suppressed memory, personal and cultural identity, and art as a catalyst for understanding, change and healing are central to my work. My film Fragments is now available online for free because I consider this subject especially important in countries such as Korea and Vietnam.

The hardships and traumas experienced by our parents and grandparents were not always discussed adequately with our generation. Yet these conversations are necessary. They help the next generation understand where they come from, what their cultural identity means and how to carry it forward.

Art has long provided a powerful channel for expressing the unspeakable. It can also communicate complex stories within sensitive cultural contexts.

Gown: Angel Luo. Earrings: Alexis Bittar.

HBZVN: In these photographs, fashion appears almost like sculpture – dramatic, architectural and closely connected to the body. How do you see the relationship between fashion and art? What can clothing communicate about identity that a conventional artwork sometimes cannot?

DR. STEPHANIE SEUNGMIN KIM: Fashion is a visual language with an extraordinarily wide range. It can be personal, revealing and intimate. It can also be cultural, universal and symbolic.

Sometimes, I wear the equivalent of semaphore flags, signaling my thoughts and feelings to the world. At other times, I am in disguise.

These photographs embody a diary entry I wrote in 1988. As a very young girl, I wrote that I wanted to grow up, travel the world and wear the most beautiful dresses ever made.

Corset and jacket: Tableaux Vivants. Shoes: JW Pei. Earrings: Alexis Bittar.

An ARTCODED @art.coded Production.
Muse: Dr. Stephanie Seungmin Kim @dr_stephanie_kim.
Producer: Gina Kim-Park @ginakpark.
Photography & Creative Direction: Reinhardt Kenneth @reinhardtkenneth.
Production Manager: Min Lee @lee.a.min.
Fashion Stylist: Anica Buckson @xx_anaka_xx with Agency Lead.
HMUA: Jane Cho @janeeverwell.official.
Assistant Director / HMUA: Sarah Higgins.
Senior HMUA: Jessica Paik.
Gaffer: Luis Lopez @luisisnotthatstupid.
Digitech: Deki Namgyal @itsdekibaby.
Lighting: Briton David.
BTS: Danny Lairon @dannydidthat_.
Fashion Assistants: Paige Marinelli @paigemarinelli | Earvin Silva @earvinsilva.
Retoucher: Valeria Mediana @mediana.retouch

Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam

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