Minjae Kim
TRUTHSAYERS
Minjae Kim’s relationship to material has always been about what’s accessible to him in the moment. Since the beginning of his sustained foray into furniture design, which picked up speed during the pandemic lockdown, the former architect and interior designer insists that wood is still the most plausible medium with which to work. In a world where people tend to quickly conflate meaning and intention, it’s a sincere and unfussy statement of approach. The format of the humble chair, to which Kim has consistently stayed devoted, exhibits a similar sense of dependability. For him, chairs are an “immediately relatable” object. In his renditions, even when the seat has been hand-carved in unexpected angles, viewers and sitters connect with them with ease.
Kim is able to accentuate wood’s inherent duality as a precision-based yet entirely free sculptural material with a playful and intuitive touch. Making is also a grounding and connecting force for Kim, who grew up primarily in Korea and has expressed liminal feelings about his heritage and his life in America. This plays out more visually through his larger works in fiberglass, which he ingeniously quilts to create transparent lampshades and sconces that loosely resemble ceremonial Korean garb through a romanticized lens.
B. 1989, Seoul, Korea
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY
Minjae Kim, Kisser Chair I, 2024. Douglas fir, stain, lacquer. Courtesy of the artist.