Meekyoung Shin (56), widely known for her distinctive “soap sculptures,” has been selected as the recipient of the 2nd Ha In-doo Art Award. Recognized for an international artistic language grounded in Korean identity, Shin has been named the second laureate of the award.

Working primarily with soap, Shin has devoted herself to recreating artifacts and artworks that symbolize specific cultures—ranging from Western sculptures and paintings to Eastern Buddhist statues and ceramics. Rather than merely replicating these objects, she deliberately adopts only their superficial attributes so that they may function as new works. By amplifying the fragile and vulnerable materiality unique to soap, she raises value-based questions about the originality and authenticity of the original objects.

Soap is an everyday material that easily breaks, wears away through use, and ultimately disappears. By employing this material, Shin creates sculptures that closely resemble Western statuary or Asian Buddhist figures. In doing so, her works become another “original” while simultaneously operating in a new way. This approach mirrors Shin’s method of dismantling conventional frameworks through which ancient civilizations have been perceived. By “translating” these Eastern and Western relics into soap, she invites viewers to reconsider notions of absolute value.

Ahn Hyunjung, Director of the Sungkyunkwan University Museum and Chair of the Jury for the 2nd Ha In-doo Art Award, commented: “By interpreting the weathering and disappearing materiality of soap as a deconstruction of authoritarianism, Meekyoung Shin has consistently forged her own distinctive path, transcending the limitations often imposed on an Asian woman artist. Her journey—akin to that of an art anthropologist translating the contexts of Eastern and Western cultures into new discourses and directions—promises to suggest new possibilities and alternatives for contemporary art.”

Shin studied sculpture at Seoul National University and its graduate school, and later graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in London and the Royal College of Art in the United Kingdom. She has since maintained an active practice between Seoul and London. Her works are held in the collections of major institutions worldwide, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and Leeum Museum of Art in Korea, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in the United States, and Arts Council England in the United Kingdom, earning her international recognition.

Recently, she held a solo exhibition at the Coreana Museum of Art, and has also presented solo exhibitions at the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics in the Netherlands, Barakat Gallery in London, Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art, and ARKO Art Center, among others.

Established in 2022 by ART CHOSUN, the Ha In-doo Art Award was created to commemorate the artistic spirit of Ha In-doo (1930–1989), who developed a distinctive painterly language, led Korean abstract art, and made a significant impact on the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.

Ha In-doo passed away at the early age of 59 while still deeply immersed in his artistic practice. Even during his prolonged illness in his later years, he never put down his brush, continuing to create numerous works—including Honbul—now regarded as a masterpiece. In honoring his legacy of relentless originality and devotion to art even amid hardship, the Ha In-doo Art Award is presented to Korean artists under the age of 59 who have established a distinctive artistic practice and have been active in Korea for at least three years. The age limit derives from Ha In-doo’s passing at 59. Although he was unable to continue beyond that age, the award expresses the hope that its recipients will carry forward even more vigorous artistic activity after turning 59.

References

• 제2회 하인두예술상에 ‘신미경’ 선정… “한국성 담보한 국제성”
  Meekyoung Shin Selected for the 2nd Ha In-doo Art Award… “Internationality Rooted in Korean Identity”