We explored Kimsooja's recurring artistic themes of "Sewing, Wrapping, and Unwrapping" in a discussion led by Ms. Kataoka Mami, Director of the Mori Art Museum. The event took place at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, which was the first museum in Japan to showcase her early artwork by acquiring Deductive Object (1997). The Korean artist expressed her connection to Fukuoka, stating, "Fukuoka has always appreciated and supported my work," and she also reflected on her experience as a resident artist in Kitakyushu City.

During her school years, Kimsooja's interests were diverse, including music, language, performance activities, and painting. As she delved into her own artistic approach while studying painting at University, her deep fascination with the internal structure of the canvas— its vertical and horizontal threads—eventually evolved into her performances of sewing and wrapping. Reflecting on the origins of her artistic journey, Kimsooja shared, “One day, while sewing a bedcover for my mother, the moment I pressed the needle into the fabric, I felt as if an electric current had surged through the point where my body and the needle met. It was like a bolt of lightning from the universe, and that overwhelming sensation ignited my passion for creation.” This profound experience would become the foundation for her unique style of expression using bottari, Korea’s traditional wrapping cloth, which would later evolve into three-dimensional art. Kimsooja also recalled her first visit to Japan as an exchange student, saying, “I was surprised to discover that Asian countries are quite different, particularly in their color sensitivity. Japanese people traditionally prefer modest and muted colors, while Koreans prefer more vivid hues. That realization sparked my interest in color spectrums, ultimately leading to my recent light project.”

Regarding her video piece A Needle Woman, presented between 1999 and 2001, in which Kimsooja herself stood alone with her back to the camera amid a bustling urban crowd, she explained, “After standing still for 30 minutes, I began to feel that the spot where I stood was the very center of the universe, and I was filled with love for humanity. It was an awaking experience; I also sensed a white wave emerging from behind the sea of people as if I myself had transformed.” This video project later expanded to performances in eight major cities worldwide, including New York.

Since the 2000s, Kimsooja has been exploring the properties of light in her art projects. Instead of following the Western concept of the rainbow spectrum, she has turned her attention to obangsaek, Korea’s traditional five-color concept—white, black, red, blue, and yellow. She explained that obangsaek extends beyond these colors, carrying symbolic meanings related to direction, seasons, stars, human characteristics, and physical attributes. In her discussion of To Breathe – A Mirror Woman (2006), Kimsooja shared her idea of expressing bottari in architectural form. She likened the act of looking into a mirror to sewing, with the surface of a glass window serving as a boundary that separates the interior and exterior of a building. 

At the end of the session, the interview shifted to discussing how artists can contribute to today’s increasingly complex world. Kimsooja shared that she was at the epicenter of the 9/11 terrorist attacks just minutes before they occurred in New York in 2001. She expressed that through her work, she has offered prayers for the victims of wars and disasters, stating, “I have always wished for peace and harmony in the world. By continuously conveying the message that I value the person in front of me, I hope to create a better society and pass it on to the next generation.” Ms. Kataoka concluded the talk by drawing a parallel between obangsaek, the motif of Kimsooja’s work, and human coexistence. Just as obangsaek continuously shifts and harmonizes without losing any of its colors, diverse identities can coexist within society. The session left a deep impression on the audience, as they were inspired by the numerous works projected on the screen and the profound passion behind them.