PARK Youngsook, Scene 6, 1963, Gelatin silver print, 20x16 inch_50.8x40.6cm
Arario Gallery will spotlight the trailblazing work of renowned Korean feminist photographer PARK Youngsook at Frieze Masters 2024, to be held from October 9 to 13 at Regent’s Park in London. This year’s participation marks a significant rediscovery of PARK's seminal black-and-white photographs from the 1960s, offering a rare glimpse into post-war Korean society and the feminist consciousness that defined her work. The gallery will showcase a curated selection of 25 works in the prestigious Spotlight section, which highlights solo presentations of pivotal 20th-century artists.
PARK Youngsook (b. 1941) is a pioneering figure in Korean contemporary photography and feminist art. Her work stands as an uncompromising critique of patriarchal society, addressing the objectification and marginalization of women within Korea's established social order. From the 1960s onward, PARK’s visual language challenged traditional roles assigned to women, raising questions about identity, gender representation, and power dynamics. Through her lens, PARK documented the lives and struggles of Korean women, capturing the intersection of personal experience and broader societal issues.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 7, 1963, Gelatin silver print, 16x20 inch, 40.6x50.8cm
The black-and-white photographs featured at Frieze Masters were largely forgotten until their recent rediscovery, but they remain as powerful as ever. These images encapsulate the modern streets of Seoul, post-war Korean landscapes, and intimate portraits of women—all captured from a uniquely feminist perspective. What makes these works particularly notable is their early engagement with the theme of "female portraits," a subject that would later become a defining focus in PARK's oeuvre. The photographs offer a critical reflection on what it means to see and be seen as a woman, both artistically and culturally.
PARK’s career as a photographer began in the 1960s, a time when the Korean photography scene was dominated by documentary realism and male voices. Despite this, PARK emerged as a strong feminist voice, using her art to create a platform for women's narratives in a male-dominated world. Her works from the 1970s, including those commemorating the UN's International Women’s Year in 1975, depicted women’s lives through themes of equality, peace, and love. These works did not merely document; they critically examined the systemic inequalities and injustices women faced daily.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 11, 1963, Gelatin silver print, 20x16 inch_50.8x40.6cm
In the late 1980s, PARK became an active participant in Korea's feminist cultural movement, joining the group "Another Culture." Her exhibitions during this period, including Uri Botmurel Teuja (1988), powerfully addressed issues such as body politics, female consciousness, and self-discovery. These exhibitions marked a turning point in PARK’s practice, as she began to delve deeper into the psychological and physical realities of women’s oppression. Using techniques like photomontage, she dismantled the traditional portrayals of women in art and culture, pushing the boundaries of feminist discourse within the Korean art scene.
Perhaps her most acclaimed project is the Mad Women Project (1999-2005), a series of photographs that documented feminist friends and colleagues as they performed acts of ‘madness,’ symbolizing the mental strain caused by patriarchal oppression and domestic labor. This series stands as a stark commentary on the intersection of gender, labor, and mental health, revealing the often invisible burdens placed on women by society. The Mad Women Project solidified PARK’s role as a central figure in both feminist art and the broader Korean art world, challenging deeply entrenched societal norms.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 46, 1967, Gelatin silver print, 20x16 inch_50.8x40.6cm
Beyond her artistic achievements, PARK also played an instrumental role in shaping the landscape of contemporary Korean photography. She was a founding member of the Korean Women Photographers’ Association in 1998 and established Trunk Gallery in 2006, a space dedicated to promoting photography as a serious art form in Korea. Through these efforts, PARK helped foster a new generation of artists while contributing to the elevation of photography within the Korean art establishment.
In 2024, PARK’s contributions to feminist art and photography will once again be recognized in a major exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. The exhibition, Connecting Bodies: Asian Women Artists, places PARK alongside other prominent female artists from Asia, examining their work through the lens of body and gender ideologies. Her inclusion in this exhibition reaffirms her enduring influence and the significance of her work within the context of global feminist art.
Arario Gallery's presentation of PARK Youngsook at Frieze Masters 2024 is not only a rediscovery of a key feminist artist but also a celebration of her lifelong commitment to challenging and redefining the representation of women in art. Her black-and-white photographs from the 1960s, as well as her broader body of work, continue to inspire critical dialogue on gender, identity, and the role of women in society. Through this exhibition, PARK’s legacy as a pioneering feminist voice will resonate with new audiences, both in Korea and beyond.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 24, 1965, Gelatin silver print, 16x20inch, 40.6x50.8cm
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
PARK Youngsook, Scene 6, 1963, Gelatin silver print, 20x16 inch_50.8x40.6cm
Arario Gallery will spotlight the trailblazing work of renowned Korean feminist photographer PARK Youngsook at Frieze Masters 2024, to be held from October 9 to 13 at Regent’s Park in London. This year’s participation marks a significant rediscovery of PARK's seminal black-and-white photographs from the 1960s, offering a rare glimpse into post-war Korean society and the feminist consciousness that defined her work. The gallery will showcase a curated selection of 25 works in the prestigious Spotlight section, which highlights solo presentations of pivotal 20th-century artists.
PARK Youngsook (b. 1941) is a pioneering figure in Korean contemporary photography and feminist art. Her work stands as an uncompromising critique of patriarchal society, addressing the objectification and marginalization of women within Korea's established social order. From the 1960s onward, PARK’s visual language challenged traditional roles assigned to women, raising questions about identity, gender representation, and power dynamics. Through her lens, PARK documented the lives and struggles of Korean women, capturing the intersection of personal experience and broader societal issues.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 7, 1963, Gelatin silver print, 16x20 inch, 40.6x50.8cm
The black-and-white photographs featured at Frieze Masters were largely forgotten until their recent rediscovery, but they remain as powerful as ever. These images encapsulate the modern streets of Seoul, post-war Korean landscapes, and intimate portraits of women—all captured from a uniquely feminist perspective. What makes these works particularly notable is their early engagement with the theme of "female portraits," a subject that would later become a defining focus in PARK's oeuvre. The photographs offer a critical reflection on what it means to see and be seen as a woman, both artistically and culturally.
PARK’s career as a photographer began in the 1960s, a time when the Korean photography scene was dominated by documentary realism and male voices. Despite this, PARK emerged as a strong feminist voice, using her art to create a platform for women's narratives in a male-dominated world. Her works from the 1970s, including those commemorating the UN's International Women’s Year in 1975, depicted women’s lives through themes of equality, peace, and love. These works did not merely document; they critically examined the systemic inequalities and injustices women faced daily.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 11, 1963, Gelatin silver print, 20x16 inch_50.8x40.6cm
In the late 1980s, PARK became an active participant in Korea's feminist cultural movement, joining the group "Another Culture." Her exhibitions during this period, including Uri Botmurel Teuja (1988), powerfully addressed issues such as body politics, female consciousness, and self-discovery. These exhibitions marked a turning point in PARK’s practice, as she began to delve deeper into the psychological and physical realities of women’s oppression. Using techniques like photomontage, she dismantled the traditional portrayals of women in art and culture, pushing the boundaries of feminist discourse within the Korean art scene.
Perhaps her most acclaimed project is the Mad Women Project (1999-2005), a series of photographs that documented feminist friends and colleagues as they performed acts of ‘madness,’ symbolizing the mental strain caused by patriarchal oppression and domestic labor. This series stands as a stark commentary on the intersection of gender, labor, and mental health, revealing the often invisible burdens placed on women by society. The Mad Women Project solidified PARK’s role as a central figure in both feminist art and the broader Korean art world, challenging deeply entrenched societal norms.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 46, 1967, Gelatin silver print, 20x16 inch_50.8x40.6cm
Beyond her artistic achievements, PARK also played an instrumental role in shaping the landscape of contemporary Korean photography. She was a founding member of the Korean Women Photographers’ Association in 1998 and established Trunk Gallery in 2006, a space dedicated to promoting photography as a serious art form in Korea. Through these efforts, PARK helped foster a new generation of artists while contributing to the elevation of photography within the Korean art establishment.
In 2024, PARK’s contributions to feminist art and photography will once again be recognized in a major exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. The exhibition, Connecting Bodies: Asian Women Artists, places PARK alongside other prominent female artists from Asia, examining their work through the lens of body and gender ideologies. Her inclusion in this exhibition reaffirms her enduring influence and the significance of her work within the context of global feminist art.
Arario Gallery's presentation of PARK Youngsook at Frieze Masters 2024 is not only a rediscovery of a key feminist artist but also a celebration of her lifelong commitment to challenging and redefining the representation of women in art. Her black-and-white photographs from the 1960s, as well as her broader body of work, continue to inspire critical dialogue on gender, identity, and the role of women in society. Through this exhibition, PARK’s legacy as a pioneering feminist voice will resonate with new audiences, both in Korea and beyond.
PARK Youngsook, Scene 24, 1965, Gelatin silver print, 16x20inch, 40.6x50.8cm
