Korean artist Kim Yun Shin, who turns 90 in 2025, is currently the subject of a two-part solo exhibition spanning Lehmann Maupin's London and New York galleries. Titled after her series "Add Two Add One, Divide Two Divide One," which began in 1975, the shows opened in February 2025 at the gallery's temporary Cork Street space in London and continue at its New York location through May 31, 2025. The exhibitions draw on Eastern philosophy of Yin and Yang, exploring themes of union and division. This follows her debut at the 2024 Venice Biennale, where curator Adriano Pedrosa selected eight of her sculptures for the Central Pavilion under the theme "Foreigners Everywhere." In an interview, Kim discusses her nomadic life—from North Korea to South Korea, Paris, Argentina, and back—and how her experiences as a foreigner shaped her artistic perspective.
This article matters because it highlights the belated international recognition of a 90-year-old female artist from Korea whose seven-decade career spans continents and mediums. Kim's trajectory—from studying sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris after the Korean War to living in Argentina and finally achieving solo debuts in London and New York—underscores the global art world's growing attention to underrepresented older artists, particularly women from non-Western backgrounds. Her participation in the Venice Biennale and current gallery shows signal a broader shift toward inclusivity in major art institutions, while her reflections on embracing cultural differences resonate with contemporary discourse on migration and identity in art.