PARK Youngsook
Biography
PARK Youngsook (b. 1941) is a first-generation female photographer in South Korea who has played a significant role in the history of modern Korean photography and the feminist movement. PARK is known for her provocative portrait photography that emphasizes femininity, which has historically and socially been regarded as a target of exclusion and discomfort. By placing the female body at the forefront of her work, PARK challenges societal oppression, absurdities, and the sexual power structures surrounding women's bodies and identities. PARK is best known for her series Mad Women (1999), which subverts conventional ideas about women constrained by patriarchal social structures. Her work, which visualizes the female body, is a product of her feminist activism, reflecting her efforts to address women's gender roles and sexual identities. Building on this series, she developed various other projects such as Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit (2002), Project for Money Reformation (2003), and WOMAD, Goddess in the 21st Century (2004). She also explored gender issues and the cultural roles of Asian women, which were socially taboo at the time, in works like Lesbian Wedding (2003), Monsieur Butterfly (2003), and Feminists in Osaka and Tokyo (2004).
Born in Cheonan in 1941, PARK Youngsook graduated with a BA in History at Sookmyung Women's University and later acheived an MFA in Photography and Design at the same University's Graduate School. In 1975, she was invited to the Equality, Development, Peace exhibition organized by the Women's Association in celebration of the UN-designated "International Women's Year". Her photographic works, which focused on various women's realities and social issues, garnered attention. In the 1980s, as she entered her 40s, PARK solidified her identity as a feminist. PARK has exhibited her work at prominent domestic and international art museums, including the the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, the Gwangju Museum of Art, and Hanmi Museum of Photography. She also participated in the 2002 Gwangju Biennale. In 2006, she founded Trunk Gallery, which operated until 2019. In 2016, PARK's large-scale solo exhibition was held at ARARIO GALLERY CHEONAN. PARK's works are part of the collections of numerous institutions, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Hanmi Museum of Photography, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Sungkok Art Museum, National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Ewha Womans University, and Sookmyung Women's University.
Works
-
Tears of a Shadow 1, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 10, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 11, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 12, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 13, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 14, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 15, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 16, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 17, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 18, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 2, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 3, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 4, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 5, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 6, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 7, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 8, 2019
-
Tears of a Shadow 9, 2019
-
그림자의 눈물 5 | Tears of a Shadow 5, 2019
-
그림자의 눈물 7 | Tears of a Shadow 7, 2019
-
A Flower Shakes Her #1, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #10, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #11, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #12, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #13, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #14, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #2, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #3, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #4, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #5, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #7, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #8, 2005
-
A Flower Shakes Her #9, 2005
-
Witch Within Me #1, 2005
-
Witch Within Me #2, 2005
-
Witch Within Me #3, 2005
-
Witch Within Me #4, 2005
-
Witch Within Me #5, 2005
-
Witch Within Me #6, 2005
-
Feminists in Osaka #1, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #10, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #11, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #2, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #3, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #4, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #5, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #5-1, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #6, 2004
-
Feminists in Osaka #7, 2004
-
Feminists in Tokyo #3, 2004
-
Feminists in Tokyo #4, 2004
-
Feminists in Tokyo #5, 2004
-
Feminists in Tokyo #6, 2004
-
Feminists in Tokyo #7, 2004
-
Feminists in Tokyo #8, 2004
-
Feminists in Tokyo #9, 2004
-
WOMAD-Goddess of Indignation, 2004
-
WOMAD-Goddess of Love and Passion, 2004
-
WOMAD-Goddess of Mother Earth and Fertility, 2004
-
WOMAD-Goddess of Salvation and Death, 2004
-
Lesbian Wedding #1, 2003
-
Lesbian Wedding #2, 2003
-
Lesbian Wedding #3, 2003
-
Lesbian Wedding #4, 2003
-
Lesbian Wedding #5, 2003
-
Monsieur Butterfly #1, 2003
-
Monsieur Butterfly #2, 2003
-
Monsieur Butterfly #5, 2003
-
Monsieur Butterfly #6, 2003
-
Monsieur Butterfly #7, 2003
-
Project for Money Reformation #1 (The Guardian Grandmother), 2003
-
Project for Money Reformation #2(Heo Nan Seol Heon), 2003
-
Project for Money Reformation #3 (Kang, the wife of Prince Sohyun), 2003
-
Project for Money Reformation #4(Empress Min), 2003
-
Project for Money Reformation #5(Na Hae Suk), 2003
-
Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit #1, 2002
-
Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit #2, 2002
-
Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit #3, 2002
-
Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit #4, 2002
-
Sexuality is Lost for Women #1, 2001
-
Sexuality is Lost for Women #2, 2001
-
Sexuality is Lost for Women #4, 2001
-
Mad Women's #2, 1999
-
Mad Women's #3, 1999
-
Mad Women's #6, 1999
-
Mad Women's #7, 1999
-
Mad Women’s #1 미친년들 #1, 1999
-
Mad Women’s #4, 1999
-
Mad Women’s #5, 1999
-
Body and Sexuality #1 육체 그리고 성 #1, 1998
-
Body and Sexuality #2 육체 그리고 성 #2, 1998
-
Body and Sexuality #3 육체 그리고 성 #3, 1998
-
Body and Sexuality #4 육체 그리고 성 #4, 1998
-
Body and Sexuality #5 육체 그리고 성 #5, 1998
-
Rose, 1988
-
Witch, 1988
-
결혼, 1988
-
땅 임자가 뉘시오, 1988
-
먼 길 떠난 할머니, 1988
-
미래를 향하여, 1988
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 건축가 김원, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 금속공예가 김재영, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 농구선수 박신자, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 무대연출가, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 섬유공예가 안순이, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 손석진, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 손숙, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 시인 김영태, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 신달자, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 연극의상 최보경, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 의상디자이너 트로아 조, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 작곡가 백병동, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 한미사진미술관 관장 송영숙, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 한영애, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 홍승연, 1981
-
Portraiture of 36 Friends | 36인의 포트레이트 - 화가 석란희, 1981
-
조기현, 1981
-
Scene #38 장면 #38, 1967
-
Scene #40 장면 #40, 1966
-
Scene #10 장면 #10, 1963
-
Scene #11 장면 #11, 1963
-
Scene #13 장면 #13, 1963
-
Scene #14 장면 #14, 1963
-
Scene #15 장면 #15, 1963
-
Scene #16 장면 #16, 1963
-
Scene #19 장면 #19, 1963
-
Scene #2 장면 #2, 1963
-
Scene #24 장면 #24, 1963
-
Scene #25 장면 #25, 1963
-
Scene #26 장면 #26, 1963
-
Scene #32 장면 #32, 1963
-
Scene #34 장면 #34, 1963
-
Scene #35 장면 #35, 1963
-
Scene #37 장면 #37, 1963
-
Scene #41 장면 #41, 1963
-
Scene #42 장면 #42, 1963
-
Scene #43 장면 #43, 1963
-
Scene #44 장면 #44, 1963
-
Scene #46 장면 #46, 1963
-
Scene #6 장면 #6, 1963
-
Scene #7 장면 #7, 1963
-
Scene #8 장면 #8, 1963
-
Scene #9 장면 #9, 1963
Exhibitions
-
Forêt
25 May - 17 July 2021 Seoul -
Unexpected Time in Hometown: Chungnam Regional Artists Collection Exhibition
20 October 2020 - 4 April 2021 Cheonan -
Dancing Queen
19 May - 11 October 2020 Cheonan -
PARK Youngsook: Tears of a Shadow
26 March - 13 June 2020 Seoul -
PARK Youngsook: Mad Women - The Utterance
6 May - 18 September 2016 Cheonan
Press
News
-
[News] "Korean 'Modern Woman' of the 1960s to Feature at London Frieze... A Photography Series by PARK Youngsook"
October 1, 2024Lee Youngran, NewspimRead more -
[News] "Masters and Feminists of Our Time... The Female Artists Who Shone at 'KIAF+Frieze'"
September 10, 2024Lee Se Ah, Women NewsRead more -
[News] "Connecting Bodies - Asian Women Artists" Exhibition Explores 'Women, Body, Art' Through Asian Women Artists
September 3, 2024Kim Ilchang, News1Read more -
[News] 'Connecting Bodies: Asian Women Artists'…130 Works to be Exhibited at the Seoul Branch of MMCA
September 2, 2024Park Hyunjoo, NewsisRead more -
[News] The first week of September is the art fair season...Kiaf · Frieze opens in Seoul on the 4th
August 22, 2024Jo Hyunsung, SBS NewsRead more -
[News] 7 Noteworthy Asian Women Artists at Freeze Seoul 2024
August 12, 2024Frieze MagazineRead more -
[Exhibition] PARK Youngsook: Return of the Witch
21 October 2022The solo exhibition by PARK Youngsook, 'The Return of the Witch', is on view at Arario Museum Tapdong Cinema. The artist, who has played a...Read more -
[Exhibition] PARK Youngsook: Mourning: In the Wake of Loss
1 July 2022Jeonnam Museum of Art introduces PARK Youngsook's photo series through “Mourning: In the Wake of Loss”. In this exhibition—centering on “loss” as a keyword—, which...Read more -
[Exhibition] PARK Youngsook: Lee Joongsub Art Prize
21 October 2021PARK Youngsook is the first generation female photographer who played an important role in the history of Korean photography and the feminist movement. She is...Read more -
[Art Fair] KIAF Seoul 2021
8 October 2021Arario Gallery participates in Korea’s most important art fair KIAF Seoul 2021 at COEX from 13th October until 17th October 2021. Arario Gallery’s Booth presents...Read more -
[Exhibition] PARK Youngsook: Piercer
5 January 2021PARK Youngsook's 'WOMAD' series features in 'piercer' at SeMA Storage. The group exhibition highlights 15 works by ten women artists from the SeMA Collection. Due...Read more -
[Exhibition] PARK Youngsook: A Larger Mind
9 November 2020PARK Youngsook's photography works are currently on view at ECC B3F Daesan Gallery, which is located within Ewha Woman's University. As one of Korea's most...Read more
Bibliography