Acclaimed Korean artist honored with France's cultural order

South Korean artist Kimsooja speaks at an award ceremony held at the French Embassy in central Seoul on July 9 2025 Courtesy of Studio Kimsooja — South Korean artist Kimsooja speaks at an award ceremony held at the French Embassy in central Seoul on July 9, 2025. Courtesy of Studio Kimsooja

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korean artist Kim Soo-ja has been awarded the Officier rank of the French Order of Arts and Letters, in recognition of her contributions to contemporary art and cultural exchange between Korea and France.

The award ceremony was held last week at the French ambassador’s residence in central Seoul, where French Ambassador to Seoul Philippe Bertoux presented the honor to Kim. Bertoux praised her for helping to shape France as “a country of creativity,” and said she has significantly contributed to strengthening the cultural dialogue between France and Korea," ahead of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year.

Established in 1957, the French Order of Arts and Letters honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts and literature, conferred by the French Ministry of Culture. Kim was first named Chevalier in 2017 and has now been promoted to Officier.

Born in Daegu in 1957, Kim is internationally recognized for her multidisciplinary works across performance, video, and installation art. After graduating from Hongik University, she studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was selected as a French government scholar in 1984.

Her work has been showcased in major museums and global art biennales. In 2019, she led the city-wide project Traversées / Kimsooja in Poitiers, France, and more recently presented her installation To Breathe – Constellation at the Pinault Foundation in Paris.

Im Yoon-seo lyseo0330@ajupress.com