SHIN Sunmi visually weaves stories of both present and past on her canvas by placing classical woman, mischievous and sprites and waggish cat in a blurry boundary between dream and reality. Those ant sprites that are witnessed in a private scene of the woman who is wearing a traditional Korean costume, Hanbok are read as a medium to link dream and reality and arouse childhood innocence of contemporaries. By portraying such miraculous existence which is only visible to innocent eyes on her canvas, SHIN expresses regrets for the modern society where dreaming and different thoughts are tabooed and further questions whether today's visible things are the absolute truth.
The artist interprets some quiet movements detected in a boundary between dream and reality and/or perceived in a visually unnoticeable and unreachable place as prank of and sprites and paints such unrealistic storied combining with her daily experience in a picture diary like format. Having detailed brush stroke, deep colors and exquisite technique adopted from old Korean paintings, her figures reinterpret the beauty of traditional Korean painting with a contemporary perspective. In addition, her recent series of "Welcome" presents cultures of three countries, Korea, China and Japan thus boasts diversity and internationalist in terms of its subject matter and appeals to much diversified viewers.
SHIN Sunmi graduated from Ulsan University and School of Hongik University both in Oriental painting. Since receiving an award at the 22nd Grand Art Exhibition of Korea by national Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea in 2003, the artist has been actively participating in bothnational and international exhibitions including Korea and Japan Exchange Exhibition (2007), KIAF (2008), and New York Scope Art Fair (2009). SHIN has been recognized for her unique style of combining traditional painting techniques with contemporary elements and is carving a place for her self in the art scene as she was chosen for Amore Pacific's artiest from SOAF Culture Economic in2004.
신선미는 동양화 기법으로 현대의 모습을 재현하는 작가이다. 네러티브가 두드러지는 생생한 묘사로 평범한 일상과 상상력이 결합된 이미지를 그려낸다. 전작에서 보여준 핸드폰 조작에 빠져있는 한복 입은 여인들과 아이의 모습은 과거와 현재가 공존하는 현 시대의 모습과 흡사하다. 작가는 이렇듯 그림 속 인물들을 통해 동시대의 사회상을 보여준다. 이러한 일상적인 모습에 작가는 가상의 인물집단 개미요정을 투입한다. 아이의 눈에만 보이는 개미요정을 어른들이 잃어버린 순수성을 함의하고 있다. 작품 안에서 개미요정은 엄마와 아이를 물리적, 정신적으로 연결해주는 매개체이다. 각각 구세대와 신세대를 대표하는 엄마와 아이 사이에서 개미요정은 강력한 공감대를 형성해주는 역할을 한다. 이는 세대간의 소통을 유도하고자 하는 작가의 바람이 반영된 것이다. 작가는 개미요정과 아이의 모습을 통해 관객이 다시 어린 시절로 돌아가 동심의 대상과 재회하기를 바라며 잊혀져 가는 순수성을 회복하기를 권한다.