PARK Youngsook

PARK Youngsook (1941-2025) studied originally History at the Sookmyung Women's University where she also completed her graduate studies in Photography and Design. She began to exhibit photography works in 1966 and her then extraordinary female awareness was visualized in a certain exhibition, in 1975. It was her solo exhibition organized by ‘Women’s Association’ to commemorate ‘International Women’s Year’, established by the United Nations. PARK exhibited various photographs subjectifying social issues including women’s reality today under the theme of <equality, peace and love>. From 1981 she continues to be bold and active with her stature as a feminist at the age of 40. From 1992 she is marked as feminism activist to become a member of ’Women Art Research Association’, a feminist group affiliated with ‘Minjung Art’ (mass people’s movement).

As a pioneering figure in the realms of Korean contemporary photography and feminist art, PARK's oeuvre critically examines the lived experiences of women within Korean society, transcending mere identification of structural societal issues to challenge patriarchal traditions head-on. PARK's photography is a conduit for reasserting female agency, interrogating societal norms, and championing women's rights. Her integration of feminist themes into artistic expression has been instrumental in establishing the foundation of feminist art in Korea. A quintessential example of PARK's artistry is her "Mad Women" series, which originated from the "Mad Woman Project" launched in 1999. The term "mad women" traditionally carries connotations of disdain for women who deviate from patriarchal expectations, coupled with an underlying fear of such deviation. In PARK's hands, however, “Mad Women" are transformed into symbols of resistance. These figures, marginalized by the patriarchal order, are seen not as subjects deprived of their identity but as potential harbingers of reclaimed identity. Through this work, PARK subverts the derogatory label, reimagining "Mad Women" as embodiments of defiance and resilience.

PARK Youngsook has participated in numerous solo and group shows in a number of important museums in Korea such as National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Gwangju Museum of Art, Hanmi Museum of Photography, Seoul,  Gwangju Biennale (2002) ; as her work is part of many significant collections and institutions such as Victoria & Albert Museum (UK), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Korea), Seoul Museum of Art (Korea), Photography Seoul Museum of Art (Korea), Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art (Korea), Gwangju Museum of Art (Korea), Sunggok Art Museum (Korea), National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Korea), Ewha Women’s University (Korea), Sookmyung Women’s University (Korea), and ARARIO Collection (Korea). She founded in 2006, Trunk Gallery which focused primarily on photography gallery in Korea. PARK Youngsook not only was a feminist activist and forthrunner of women's art but she has also made a wide contribution in Korean photography.