Spotlight: Shin-hee Chin, Fiber and Mixed Media Artist

How did you find yourself on an artist’s path? Always there? Lightbulb moment? Dragged kicking and screaming? Evolving?

I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and I earned my BFA and MFA at Hongik University in Seoul, Korea. Embracing change, I ventured to the United States with my husband and raised our two children. During the seven years of nurturing my family, doubts crept in—I questioned my ability to create artwork in a new land, in a different tongue.

However, I faced this challenge head-on. Pursuing my MA at California University, I found myself drawn to fiber art/art quilts out of practicality. As a young mother, art supplies were beyond reach. Instead, I discovered a treasure trove of recycled materials.

I utilize a variety of remnants of fabrics of clothing that include worn-out, nearly unusable clothes from my family, as well as “leftover” clothes from my previous works. While my choice of old and recycled clothes is derived from the course of recycling and improvising with my artistic materials, I realized the plentiful, or even infinite artistic potential of the devalued aspects of the domestic realm for female artists.

Within every strand, I found an allure, an enchanting beauty echoing deep within me. Fiber art became my voice.

Who influences your work?

My greatest inspiration was my father, an 18th-century English literature professor at Seoul National University. He instilled in me invaluable lessons about life, art, and the beauty of poetry. His teachings on embracing my true self as a woman and pursuing my dreams with unwavering determination remain my guiding light.

I’m indebted to my mentors: Mr. Kim, a reclusive artist from my hometown in South Korea, who pushed me to unlock my full potential. His guidance continues to shape my path. Then there’s Professor Im, my college professor, who not only taught Aesthetics but imparted a profound philosophy of life. His encouragement to pursue my artistic journey unveiled the deep connection between philosophy and visual art.

Are there recurring themes in your work? What is it about a subject that inspires you to continue exploring it? Does your work have stories to tell?

My ongoing series of works explore humanity and dignity in human beings, highlighting the interconnectedness.

I have also created a series of pieces that depict the marginalized and forgotten people who have remained voiceless, faceless, and nameless. My work seeks to valorize the small tasks that together yield a greater sum in positive energy, yet are overlooked or dismissed by history. Also, my work seeks to acknowledge the trials endured by victims and minorities. Along with the focus on humanity, I concurrently explore text and image, language and identity, landscape and environment.

What motivates you artistically? 

My artistic inspiration stems from the pages of books and the wonders of nature. The Bible and poetry, particularly the Romantic era’s verses and Korean poems, have been my guiding lights

What different creative media do you use in your work?

When I was in Korea, I focused on 2D work; oil painting and surface design, especially batik and dyeing. After I immigrated to the United States with my husband, I became a stay-at-home mother. As a mother of two active kids at home, I felt materials for oil painting and batik might not be safe to kids. Naturally I sought a safer and affordable medium.

I found myself leaning towards fiber art for practical reasons. I appropriated the valued craft techniques such as stitching and random wrapping. I utilized a variety of remnants of fabrics of clothing and threads and created 3-dimensional women’s body forms.

When we moved from California, Maryland, Michigan finally to Kansas, I was tired of moving and converted all the moving blankets used by movers to art quilts.

Do you plan your work out ahead of time, or do you just dive in with your materials and start playing?

I do both.

I always prepare my materials in advance whenever I’m about to start a new piece. This involves organizing my inventory of materials—recycled fabrics, threads, paper—dyeing, creating yo-yo quilt blocks, sketching artworks, summarizing book contents, and more. This is my preparation process for creating. However, I also remain open to improvised pieces.

I found that cleaning and organizing the space is as important as creating art. I know cleaning is not always fun, but it gives you breathing space mentally and physically.  If I have a big project, I do house chores first; Cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking (kimchi and Korean side dishes). 

How do you manage your creative time? Do you schedule start and stop times? Or work only when inspired?

Maintaining continuity in my artistic process holds significant value for me. It allows me to weave a narrative thread through my creations, creating a cohesive and compelling journey for both myself and those who experience my art. My typical day consists mainly of teaching and house chores. I quilt during the weekends.

To stay fresh as an artist, I turn to the ordinary routines of laundry, meal planning, grading papers, and even what I call “an artist date.” Coined by author Julia Cameron, these “dates” are activities with no purpose but relaxation. Take a walk around the lake. I often read Korean and English poetry books for inspiration, along with practicing yoga at the YMCA.

Are you a “finisher”? How many UFOs do you think you have?

I tend to have multiple projects ongoing at any given time. Sometimes, what seems finished finds its way back into the spotlight after years, taking on a new life in a different exhibition or setting. This process feels like a rebirth for the piece. It’s a continuous journey, so I don’t see my unfinished work as “Unfinished Objects.” Each piece holds potential for a future moment or inspiration.

Do you have a dedicated space for creating? If so, what does it look like?

I don’t have an art studio but I seem to make my whole house a studio.

Because of various teaching and committee duties as a Professor, I generally don’t make big pieces during the semester. During the semester, however, I focus on preparing the next projects by doing research on the subject matter, sketching, and preparing art materials such as making yo-yos, dying fabrics and threads, and coiling fabrics on a daily basis at my basement(aka studio). 

The majority of actual art making/production takes place during the summer and winter vacation. These seasons offer me the freedom to delve deeply into my craft. My heaven becomes the Red Barn Studio in Lindsborg, Kansas, where its space and facilities aid me in completing substantial works. I owe a profound debt of gratitude to the residency program for fostering this crucial phase of my artistic journey.

How often do you start a new project? Do you work actively on more than one project at a time?

I usually have multiple artworks in progress. As I work on various themes, my current piece naturally becomes the seed for the next.

Creating in a series feels fulfilling, as new inspiration seamlessly intertwines with previous works, weaving its essence into the fabric of my art. This process often reflects and accentuates aspects of myself, guiding me toward self-expression within my creations.

Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?

I chose my work, Komorebi.

When I was a child, I loved looking at the trees, especially when sunlight filters through the trees. I was awestruck by the powerful beauty of the interplay between light and trees. Later I was delighted to find the word to describe this splendid phenomenon as ‘shafts of delicious sunlight’ or ‘godlight’ and ‘Komorebi’.

After I came up with the idea, I conducted rather exhaustive research on the subject matter. I started to sketch the autumn trees around our town. I loved the organic shape and the structure of the branches. I made numerous sketches and tried to refine designs. Then I found boxes full of old photos of tree branches when I took a darkroom photography class about 20 years ago. I combined those tree branches into my preliminary sketches.

I chose techniques that best fit into the idea, preparing art materials suitable for the subjects and techniques. The techniques have an important meaning for me as a compositional device. I decided to recycle our old family blanket/comforter. *Our family’s well-loved comforter has journeyed through marriage, crossed borders from South Korea to the US, two kids (now grown up and moved from the West Coast to the East and finally to the MidWest. Over 33 years there’s been a lot of love for this comforter.) I stitched all over the surface. This became a ground for my art quilt, Komorebi.

Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?

I admit that making new art or utilizing new techniques or new things always scares me, but I always challenge myself by putting myself in a vulnerable situation, in a field that I haven’t done before, but with a fresh mind. I even admit to making some “ugly” pieces, but I don’t leave them there. My art is a part of myself; I don’t necessarily make glorious work, but I spend my time and energy no matter the outcome, sometimes setting it aside to work on it later. I am not above ripping out several hours’ worth of handi-work, backtracking and starting over. Everything has the potential to be recycled.

Every stitch in this creative journey serves as a bridge, linking the rich tapestries of diverse female experiences into a universal language. I find that the process of translating these varied stories into a medium accessible to individuals from all walks of life is both a challenge and a remarkable source of inspiration.