Olympic Costume Designer Dr. Keysook Geum

Dr. Geum’s ornate sculptural forms will be on view in display cases located throughout Level Two of the shopping center from February 12 – September 6, 2019.

Dr. Keysook Geum’s rotating exhibition will feature three life-sized sculptural forms, entitled Enlightenment III, Nirvana in Red IV and NIGHTINGALE. Dr. Geum is an author and professor of Textile Art and Fashion Design at Hong Ik University in Seoul, Korea, and recently served as the Artistic Director for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in 2018, designing both the uniforms and dresses worn in the opening ceremony. Dr. Geum’s dramatic sculptures of elegantly posed forms embody the fusion of timeless Asian aesthetics and philosophy with contemporary air. They are constructed of paper-wrapped or enamel coated wires, gems, beads and silk. Starting with a central focal point, Dr. Geum works outwardly in a concentric manner reminiscent of a spider. As the artist weaves, twists and bends wire two-dimensionally, intricate forms and unintentional patterns emerge. The natural tensions of interlacing wire push and pulls out until figurative shapes begin to take form. With a background in designing costumes for large-scale dance and theater productions, Dr. Geum’s sculptural works are imbed with her delight in movement, energy and gesture. Dr. Geum is represented by Chicago-based Andrew Bae Gallery.