In 2013, Hyungjoo Kim was invited to participate as a featured artist in a classical musical performance commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. The performance took place at the Skokie Performing Arts Center in Illinois and served as a cultural tribute reflecting on memory, sacrifice, and peace.
For this special occasion, Kim created a paper costume made entirely from traditional Korean Hanji. Rather than functioning as a conventional stage garment, the costume was conceived as a sculptural artwork—an extension of Kim’s long-standing exploration of material, touch, and cultural memory. Hanji, deeply rooted in Korean history and craftsmanship, was transformed into a wearable form that carried both symbolic weight and visual delicacy.
The paper costume appeared on stage alongside a children’s dance performance choreographed by Yoojin Jung. The dancers’ movements activated the subtle textures and layers of the Hanji dress, allowing light, motion, and sound to interact organically. In harmony with the costume, a lotus-inspired sculptural element was introduced, reinforcing themes of purity, resilience, and spiritual renewal—symbols closely associated with healing and peace in East Asian traditions.
Through this work, Kim bridged traditional Korean material culture and contemporary performance art, creating a moment where visual art, movement, and music converged. The paper costume embodied fragility and strength simultaneously, echoing the historical context of the performance while offering a poetic vision of continuity and hope.
This project stands as an important example of Hyungjoo Kim’s practice beyond gallery spaces, demonstrating how her work extends into performative and collaborative contexts while maintaining a consistent philosophical and material language rooted in Korean tradition.
