Artist Park Youngsook (1941-2025) ©ARARIO Gallery
On October 6, Park Youngsook, a pioneering
first-generation female photographer in Korea who played a key role in the
history of Korean contemporary photography and the feminist movement, passed
away at the age of 85.
Since beginning her photographic practice
in the 1960s, Park devoted her life to the pursuit of photographic art and
feminist movement. Park is known for her provocative portrait photography that
emphasizes femininity, which has historically and socially been regarded as a
target of exclusion and discomfort. By placing the female body at the forefront
of her work, Park challenges societal oppression, absurdities, and the sexual
power structures surrounding women's bodies and identities.
Park Youngsook,
Mad Women #1, 1999, C-print, 150x120cm ©ARARIO Gallery
Park is best known for her series ‘Mad
Women’ (1999), which subverts conventional ideas about women constrained by
patriarchal social structures. Her work, which visualizes the female body, is a
product of her feminist activism, reflecting her efforts to address women's
gender roles and sexual identities.
Building on this series, she developed
various other projects such as ‘Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit’ (2002), ‘Project
for Money Reformation’ (2003), and ‘WOMAD, Goddess in the 21st Century’ (2004).
She also explored gender issues and the cultural roles of Asian women, which
were socially taboo at the time, in works like ‘Lesbian Wedding’ (2003), ‘Monsieur
Butterfly’ (2003), and ‘Feminists in Osaka and Tokyo’ (2004).
Park Youngsook,
Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit #1, 2002, C-print,
120x120cm ©ARARIO
Gallery
In 1998, she founded The Korean Women
Photographers’ Association, working to advance the rights and visibility of
female photographers. From 2006 to 2016, she operated Trunk Gallery, Korea’s
first gallery dedicated exclusively to photography, dedicating her efforts to
building a foundation for discovering and supporting emerging artists.
Beyond her individual artistic career, Park was an
artist who continually questioned the structures and consciousness of society.
Her spirit and legacy will continue to resonate for years to come
