From June 4, 2024, to May 5, 2025, the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art’s Children’s Gallery will host an exhibition titled Celestial Whisper, featuring the work of sculptor Meekyoung Shin known for her innovative use of soap as a sculptural medium over the past 30 years, Shin’s latest exhibition delves into the symbolism of angels, offering viewers a sensory experience of this ethereal theme.

Angels, a symbol of the divine connection between God and humanity, have long occupied a unique place in art and literature as mysterious, unseen entities. In Celestial Whisper, Shin reimagines angels as beings that exist in the liminal space between presence and absence, metaphorically expressed through soap's material properties. The transparency, fragility, and ephemeral nature of soap and its scent are utilized to evoke the otherworldly nature of angels, allowing visitors to experience the concept of angels through sight and smell.

The exhibition invites viewers to engage with soap sculptures—ordinary material elevated to a medium of profound artistic expression. The transparency and light-reflecting qualities of the soap, along with its distinctive scents, create an immersive experience that blurs the boundaries between the tangible and the intangible. This exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the familiar yet unseen figure of angels, encouraging visitors to explore their imagination and rediscover the mystical allure of these celestial beings.

Shin first gained recognition in 1998 for her meticulous and sometimes intentionally incomplete soap sculptures, including representations of Western classical statues, Buddha figures, and ceramics. Her work raises questions about the authenticity and value of relics by highlighting the transient nature of soap, a material that naturally erodes over time, much like historical artifacts themselves.

In recent years, Shin has also explored new sculptural possibilities using jesmonite, a contemporary material, producing notable works such as the Abstract Matter series, which features flat sculptures resembling ancient murals or abstract paintings. These works are displayed in the current exhibition at the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics in the Netherlands, further showcasing her versatility as an artist.

This exhibition at the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art is designed with children in mind, featuring around 100 pieces. It offers an opportunity for all ages to experience the depth of contemporary art through familiar yet transformative materials, inspiring creativity and imagination.

Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com