Sayart.net - Choong Sup Lim′s ＂In Between＂ Explores Identity and Cultural Dialogue at the Korean Cultural Center New York

The Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY) is set to present Choong Sup Lim: In Between, a major retrospective celebrating the prolific career of Choong Sup Lim, one of the most influential Korean American artists. Running from February 19 to April 12, 2025, the exhibition offers a deep dive into Lim’s five-decade-long artistic journey, showcasing over 100 works that traverse painting, sculpture, installation, video, and mixed media. As a cornerstone of the Korean diaspora’s contribution to the New York art scene, Lim’s work bridges cultures, philosophies, and eras, making this retrospective a significant cultural moment.

Born in Korea in 1941, Choong Sup Lim relocated to New York in 1973, where he began developing an artistic language that explores the dualities inherent in his identity and practice. His work navigates the liminal spaces between East and West, nature and urbanization, tradition and modernity, and abstraction and figuration. This thematic interplay forms the foundation of In Between, a concept Lim has long used to articulate the tensions and harmonies that define his existence as both an immigrant and an artist.

The exhibition occupies both the first-floor atrium and the second-floor gallery of the KCCNY, creating a layered experience that mirrors Lim’s exploration of multidimensional spaces. A highlight of the show is the premiere of an original documentary, produced specifically for the retrospective, which offers an intimate look into Lim’s daily life in New York. Featuring scenes of his walks along the Hudson River and candid moments in his studio, the film provides rare insights into his creative process and the philosophical underpinnings of his art.

Lim’s artistic philosophy revolves around the idea of occupying “in-between” spaces—not just geographically, between Korea and the United States, but conceptually, between contrasting forms and ideologies. His diverse body of work reflects this duality. Paintings and installations juxtapose organic materials with industrial elements, while his sculptures often balance biomorphic forms with geometric structures. This fusion is particularly evident in Korean Cotton Thread, an installation that embodies Lim’s vision of cultural and temporal convergence. Drawing from the 500-year-old tradition of Korean textiles, the piece intertwines natural cotton threads with the hard-edged geometry of American Cubism, creating a dialogue between handcraft and modern industry.

A distinctive feature of Lim’s work is his use of everyday objects, reassembled into complex forms that challenge viewers' perceptions. In pieces like Untitled–Vegetarian, Untitled–Hands, Untitled–Guruma, and Untitled–Hee-ut, he employs minimalist color palettes and abstract shapes to evoke meaning while maintaining an open-ended narrative. The absence of descriptive titles invites viewers to engage more deeply with the physicality and symbolism of each piece, prompting questions about cultural identity, memory, and interpretation.

Another focal point of the exhibition is Lim’s engagement with language, particularly through his use of Hangeul (Korean characters). In one installation, Hangeul is positioned between vertical lines that symbolize Western architectural forms, visually representing the fusion of Eastern calligraphy with Western modernism. This merging of visual languages echoes Lim’s broader thematic inquiry into how cultural symbols evolve when placed in new contexts.

Choong Sup Lim: In Between is more than a retrospective—it is a meditation on identity, displacement, and the creative possibilities that emerge from cultural intersections. As Lim reflects on his journey from rural Korea to metropolitan New York, the exhibition invites viewers to consider their own “in-between” spaces—be they cultural, emotional, or philosophical.

The opening reception on February 19, from 6 to 8 PM, will offer visitors the opportunity to explore Lim’s works firsthand and engage with the dialogues his art provokes. Through this exhibition, the KCCNY not only honors a key figure in Korean American art but also highlights the ongoing relevance of diaspora narratives in contemporary society.

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com