Woojin Kim, born in 1987 in Korea, graduated from the College of Arts Education and the Graduate School of Sculpture at Hannam University. He has participated in numerous solo exhibitions and group shows, expanding his international presence through overseas exhibition in Taiwan, USA, and Germany. He expresses emotional stories such as dreams and hopes that the artist had to give up due to the surrounding environment and complex human relationships he had. Now, the artist expresses his childhood dream of becoming a zookeeper through the use of Object. Using stainless steel as the medium, he recreated the animals for which he wanted to care. In depicting these animals, he focuses more on emotional representation than physical resemblance, aiming to fulfill and realize his childhood dream through this process.
Out of all the animals in the world, the ones that truly captivated Woojin Kim are, indeed, the deer. The deer a mysterious animal whose stunning branch-like horns had convinced our ancestors to deem it a mediator between animals and plants, heaven and earth have especially represented Kim. The strength and durability of stainless steel imbue the animals in the artwork with powerful energy. By capturing both the form and emotional essence of the animals, the artist strives to maintain the enduring nature of their ‘utopia,’ a vision that remains untarnished for decades or even centuries. Additionally, the artist applies vibrant primary colors to the animals, using a signature technique unique to him. Each color is thoughtfully chosen for its symbolic meaning, blended together to give the animals a significance beyond their physical form. In this way, the artist not only expresses his passion for his childhood dream but also weaves layers of meaning into the materials and colors, stirring the viewer’s heart. This allows each person to engage with the artwork from their own perspective, creating a fresh and re-imagined experience.