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Kimsooja Named Officer of French Order of Arts and Letters

The promotion underscores her role as a cultural bridge between South Korea and France

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South Korean artist Kimsooja is seen in this file photo. (Yonhap)
South Korean artist Kimsooja (R) receives the French Order of Arts and Letters with the rank of "officer" from French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux (L) at the ambassador's residence in Seoul on July 9, 2025, in this photo taken by Kim Jin-sol and provided by her studio. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Contemporary artist Kimsooja was officially promoted to the rank of Officier on July 9 at the French ambassador’s residence in Seoul.
  • The Officer rank is the second-highest of the order’s three tiers and recognizes her sustained contributions to arts and cultural exchange.
  • This accolade marks her second French decoration after being named a chevalier in 2017.
  • Known as the “Bottari artist,” Kimsooja uses traditional Korean cloth bundles in conceptual installations to explore memory, identity and migration.
  • Her relationship with France began in 1984 with an École des Beaux-Arts scholarship and includes a 2024 carte blanche exhibition at Paris’s Bourse de Commerce.