Seongmin Yoo

Upon arriving in California as a non-English speaking immigrant, Seongmin Yoo embarked on a journey over the past decade to overcome the language barriers. Through sculpting, she found a means to communicate her ideas effectively. Even after learning the language, she discovered that her new form of expression became the art of sculpting figures and conveying messages through them. She listened to the stories of immigrants, displaced women, and asylum seekers who sought refuge in the United States. Many of these resilient women were the backbone of labor in hotels and hospitals, undertaking mundane yet essential tasks akin to the role of motherhood. In their shared experiences as mothers, they carried a common aspiration: to provide their children with a better life. Arriving with their children, they traversed great distances with the singular purpose of securing a brighter future for them. Seongmin Yoo's sculptures depict human figures with animalistic traits, offering a tactile experience that conveys the concept of displacement and struggle. Encased in various materials, these sculptures symbolize the immigrant's journey of breaking free from societal constraints to reveal their true essence.