Drawing

by Misik Kim

This is the last work of Veiwpoints9- 2.

I like to play with the sewing machine, just as young children play with toys.

The pieces of this work were free stitched by machine a few years ago.

Sometimes I thought the line of machine stitch is like drawing

I was cutting and piecing those pieces now.

Thanks,  Martha……..

High School Baseball in Korea

by Misik Kim

When I saw Diane’s challenge, I remembered my childhood.
When I was young, I liked to watch a baseball game.
So I often went to the stadium to watch it.
At that time, professional baseball teams were not in Korea,
but, high school baseball tournaments were popular, like pro.
Many people were excited about the high school baseball tournament.
The players were so famous, like movie stars.
They had lots of fans and I was one of the their fans.
When I remember these days, it makes me laugh.
It is a pleasure to remember the days when we were happy

Thanks, Diane ..........

daily routine

by Misik Kim

Communication

Since I started to have sewing play in a nursing home, I've thought a lot about my life.

While I was sewing with them I was so sad.

Because the pieces of their mind were disappearing little by little.

I was thinking about how I lived on, how to live.

When I did this challenge, I thought, do my work like daily routine, live and communicate with many people in work.

Maybe this is something I want while I'm alive.

Dementia

Recently I am sewing with old women in a nursing home once a week..

This nursing home is a place where my friends are operating,

Two months ago she asked me what to do something for them.

At that time I thought sewing is good for them and then I started sewing with them

Although differences in seriousness of disease, most of them have dementia.

So I was worried they can or not.

But it was unfounded.

Because They are the generation who can sew and made the clothes for their children and husband

 like my mother.

In spite of my concern, they like to sew so much.

I thought about the lives of their past.

Many things would have been in their memories of 

This would have been a lot of things about their lives in their memories

they already forgot a lot, and forget now, will forget …………

on the way back home, I came up with their pretty faces like baby.

I wished their health……….

In My Storage

by Misik Kim 

Environment and Ecology

We live with too much.

Such greed is destroying nature and life becomes dry.

When I saw her challenge, I looked around my room.

There were so many things.

Many things piled up in every corner.

I visited China last week.
Eight years ago I went to China for the first.

Since then, it also is changing so fast and nature is destroyed

But it retains a lot of the look of my childhood, I remember once I go to China.

We are destroying nature for a long time and now are talking about the importance of nature..

This work is a rediscovery of the pieces that are left for a long time

Hand stitching is my interest these days

Slightly rough feel and charm of handmade is the only hand-stitching flavor that can not be felt in the machine

As planted flowers in the bleak cities, tried the hand stitching on machine stitching.

This is also an attraction to the disharmony.

Now our country has come to fall deeply in.

This is a wave of red and yellow.

I like to walk in it.

Handmade Korea Fair 2014

by Misik Kim

Recently, there is a lot of increased attention to the enviromment around the world.

In Korea, many young artists and designers are also interested in the environment.

They have a lot of activities for environment.

Last July, I participated in Handmade Korea Fair with my students.

The concept of main booth was Rediscovery of remnants.

We had a lot of remnants after finishing the works

We decided to use them for our event.

It is like recycle and upcycle.

We has been given the space (12m x 6 m x 6m).

We made 80 panels for the wall (12m x 6 m) and tote bags…..

18 quilters joined this project.

It was so exciting.

Many young artists participated in this fair.

The organizer said “visitors were over 60,000".

Viewpoints 9 Exhibitions

Viewpoints 9 is pleased to announce a special exhibition of contemporary fiber art selected from each of the original 2012 and 2013 challenges. Exhibits will be held at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XXI, September 18-21, 2014 and Quiltfest Oasis Palm Springs, October 2-4, 2014. 

To learn more about the artwork in the exhibition, visit www.Viewpoints9.blogspot.com.

Step by Step

by Misik Kim

Step by Step, 26" x 27"

Really hard…..

It is really hard to write my thoughts in English.

I think it is too difficult to write the idea in another language.

I have learned English for a long time since middle school.

But English is always difficult language to me.

It was because I was hesitant to participate in viewpoints9.

Before viewpoints 9, I didn’t have many opportunities to write in English.

So everything is so strange and difficult at first time

But now I enjoy reading the articles the members posted.

I think all works are started from one stitch.

I always think that should work step by step.

I think my English will be improved with my works.

“The Art of the Quilt”

by Misik Kim

When I saw this challenge, I thought my article in Magazine SEOUL a few years ago (May, 2009).  This is a part of the article.

“The Art of the Quilt” – Quilt Artist Kim Misik Turns Craft into Art Starting Late in life

She began quilt or rather discovered my talent for it. Later in life.

“ I wanted to be an artist, but my father did not approve,”

She started by studying fashion design at sookmyung woman’s university.

Close to 10years later I have continued with graduate studies, majoring in weaving at Hongik University. “

 I knew that fashion design was not my thing. But I also knew I wanted to work with textile and fabrics all my life, “ Kim says.

In her mid-30s she had the opportunity to live in the United Stated for two years.

She and her family lived in Washington ,D.C., where she visited museums and art-related exhibitions.

As she looks at the quilt exhibits at the Textile Museum, a new world opened for her.

I began to apply quilting to my work.

I came here from a little girl who want to be an artist in the future.

It was a long way like journey.

I am here

I participated in Handmade fair with my students who have a dream like me.

Blue

by Misik Kim

When I thought about the universe, the first thing that came to my mind was color.

When I thought about the universe, I felt myself standing in the middle of the blue.

Blue is the color of vague longing.

I didn’t finish my work for Viewpoints9 yet.

Now I am working all day for the exhibition of Handmade fair which will be held in July.

I think my room I am working all day is my universe.

Quilted Planet

by Misik Kim

While I was working on this challenge with the number 9, I realized the number 9 has so many meanings.  I live with so many things which are associated with the number 9.

Many planets in the universe, but we know that only nine among them.

I think we are nine planets in the universe which is named Quilt.

Quilt world is like the universe to me.

When I saw art quilt exhibition 26 years ago, I thought it was a new world to me,

like universe.

“Quilted Planet” was published  in  Great Britain in 2005.

Across the planet, through history, and in widely differing cultures, we find quilting styles and techniques that have evolved from very different histories and regional traditions.  by Celia Eddy

Memory of Red and Green

by Misik Kim

"Memory of Red and Green", 18" x 18" 

When I watched the movie "Sopyonje", I remembered my wedding celemony.

In Korea, there are two types of wedding ceremonies. The first and most common is the Western-style wedding held in a wedding hall or church. The other is the traditional Korean wedding called Pae Baek (폐백). Traditionally, the Pae Baek is a ceremonial practice where the groom's family accepts the new bride into their home as part of the family.

During pyebaek, the parents throw chestnuts and jujube fruits to encourage many offspring and bless a happy marriage.

After returning from the honeymoon, the married couple would visit their parent house, at that time bride wear Hanbok. (green jeogori and red chima)

Red and green are the primary colors of hanbok is worn by the bride.

Red and green means good luck. To prevent the negative energy that is giving a red skirt, blue jeogori thrive as the descendants of meaning, which means that it is magical.

Size : 18" × 18"

My memories of the movies and September

I was thinking of coming September although I have barely finished the Winter and should get ready for the Spring. September is the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall when the fields are full of blooming mums. September reminds me of two old movies from my childhood.  One was called "Come September" with Rock Hudson as a main character and the other was Korean film called "Sopyonje".  

The world I was living as a young girl did not permit much access to the western culture except occasional western movies in a theater. One day I tagged along with my older brother and older sister to see "Come September" and it left a lasting impression on me - whenever I come across this movie being replayed in TV, I return to the memories of a young girl.

Korean film,"Sopyonje " is a story of sister and brother musicians who had to overcome insurmountable obstacles in life and expressed their sorrow and sadness through their voice with the beautiful scenery of countryside of southwestern province called "Chunlanamdo".  The emotions of the sibling permeated through the entire movie and I often wonder the if the emotion of "Hahn" has been a unique experience of being Korean.  My heart aches whenever I remember how I just sat inside the theater after the movie stopped because I was numb to the core.  I can't help this "Hahn" comes across my art because it would be unnatural for me to be anything else.

I wonder what movies come to your mind when you think of September.  I hope you too have memorable movies that remind you of the fall.  

Hwabyung

by Misik Kim

Hwabyung 18" x 18" 

Hwabyung does not exist in other countries, an unusual illness is in Korea.

It is called “Hwabyung”

Hwabyung,(화병), whose literal meaning is “anger disease” or fire disease” is known as Korean culture –related syndrome related to anger.

In Korean ‘hwa’ means “anger” as well as “fire” Ordinary Koreas have used.

It most often occurs in middle aged, menopausal women.

They typically live in traditional families which stress the value of males

while devaluing women.

In these families, a woman’s virtue is to quietly bear misfortune and ungappiness

While maintaining harmony.

Hwabyung is considered to have originated from a Korean cultural emotion “Hahn” which is a concoction of sorrow and anger feelings

This emotion is connected to psychosocial stress of family and economic discords.

As Korean culture implies suppression of anger.

Sometimes these emotions give a lot of energy to work.

I also have Hahn.

I like this kind of emotion like Hahn

Hwabyung, detail

In the town.

By Misik Kim

         I live in the city.
The city has always approaches me in gray
Sitting on the the 13th floor apartment, I am dreaming of life in the countryside.

Size : 17 (H)ⅹ18 (W)

Where is my limit?

by Misik Kim

AS teacher, quilt artist, and housewife, I have too much work to do.

in particular, there are a lot of things like obligation in housework.

In early winter, we are so busy to make Kimchi for winter.

Every year, the last thing given to me is making kimchi.

Kimchi for the winter is called kimjang kimchi (hangul: 김장 김치).

In preparation for the long winter months, many types of kimjang kimchi (hangul: 김장 김치) were prepared in early winter and stored in the ground in large kimchi pots. Today, many city residents use modern kimchi refrigerators offering precise temperature controls to store kimjang kimchi. November and December are traditionally when people begin to make kimchi.

Making Kimchi is hard working.

Much easier than before, but still should be working all day .

But Kimchi is so delicious and healthy food, so we make it every year.

I want to have more time to work for my works.

School closed and vacation start ......

These days, I wonder how long I can work.

Even if I don't know where my limits are, I am cleaning up my studio and keep going step by step for works now.

It is best thing I can do now.

Merry christmas and Happy new year!!!