Jill Kyong recently moved to the Pacific Northwest and lives in Moscow, Idaho. She has a BFA from the University of Minnesota in sculpture and has taught woodworking at the Windgate Art School. She creates sculptural wall art, furniture, and sculpture primarily out of wood. Her work has been juried in to shows at the Wharton Esherick Museum in PA, The Art Center Highland Park in Chicago, the Korean-American Museum in Los Angeles, the Boise Art Museum where she won a juror’s award and was recently invited to show at the AAW Gallery of Wood Art in St. Paul, MN.
Jill finds inspiration in the tranquil beauty of the Pacific Northwest, which she translates into her work through minimalist forms and geometric proportions. She aims to capture the essence of nature’s magnificence while juxtaposing that with the tragedy of the human condition. Jill combines her technical woodworking skills with a keen sense of narrative and expressive potential to show a promise of hope amongst the many hardships we encounter.
Central to her artistic expression is the theme of connection. She utilizes stones she makes from various types of wood as a symbolic representation of the human need for unity and understanding. When stacked, these stones embody strength and solidarity, while in their separated state, they serve as a poignant reminder of the challenges in establishing meaningful connections. The artist’s work goes beyond being static pieces, as she incorporates interactive elements like movable stones, cubes, and birds. This intentional design invites viewers to engage with the artwork, empowering them to shape their own interpretation and actively participate in the artistic experience.
CURRICULUM VITAE:
EXHIBITIONS
Solo show: Center for Art and History, Lewiston, ID, November 2023
Seattle Art Fair, Seattle, WA, 2023
America Association of Wood Turners, POP Show, invited, St. Paul, MN 2023
Moscow Intermodal Transit Center Sculpture Garden, juried, Moscow, ID 2023
The Art Spirit Gallery, Inspired Design, Coeur D’Alene, ID, 2023
Ridenbaugh Gallery, Transient Beings, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 2023
U of Montana international MFA online exhibit, Here, There, Nowhere, juried, 2022
Yuan Ru Art Gallery, Transcending Boundaries, Bellevue, WA, 2022
Ridenbaugh Gallery, Convergence, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 2022
Dahmen Barn, Wonderful World of Wood, Uniontown, WA 2022
Art Center Highland Park, Nature vs Nurture, juried exhibition, Highland Park, IL, 2022
The Art Spirit Gallery, Terra, Coeur D’Alene, ID, 2022
Wharton Esherick Museum, Wood and…, juried exhibition, Malvern, PA, 2021
The Art Spirit Gallery, Unwrap the Creative, invitational, 2021
The Art Spirit Gallery, Confluence/Influence, Coeur D’Alene, ID, 2021
Dahmen Barn, The Wood Show, Uniontown, WA, 2020 & 2021
Boise Art Museum Triennial, juried exhibition, Boise, ID, 2020
Prichard Art Gallery, Benefit Show, Moscow, ID, 2019
3rd Street Gallery, Wood and Word, Moscow, ID, 2019
Interior Designers of Idaho, Chair Affair, Boise, ID, 2019, 2021
McCleod Fine Art Gallery, With the Grain-Fine Wood Working and Studio Furniture, Little Rock, AR, 2018
Arkansas Art Center Instructor Gallery, Wood Show, Little Rock, AR, 2017
Awards
Juror’s Merit Award, Boise Art Museum Triennial, 2020,
Peoples Choice Award, Interior Designers of Idaho Chair Affair, 2019
Best Grad Student Design, Interior Designers of Idaho Chair Affair, 2019
Most Creative Award, Interior Designers of Idaho Chair Affair, 2019
Gallery Representation
The Art Spirit Gallery, Coeur d’Alene, ID
Yuan Ru Art Center, Bellevue, WA and Taipai City, Taiwan
Exhibit Coordinator and Designer
Manga and War, Reflections Gallery, University of Idaho, 2023, anticipated
Manga Contest, High School and College manga contests with $12,000 in scholarships, University of Idaho, 2023, anticipated
Remembering Hiroshima, from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Exhibit, Reflections Gallery, University of Idaho, 2022
Juror:
Emerge Gallery, Origins of Identity, Coeur D’Alene, ID 2023, anticipated -How nationality, race, and sexual identity shape who we are as artists and the work we create.
Emerge Gallery, Pop Up Show, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 2021
Media:
“Letting the Sun Shine In“, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, May 27, 2023
“Form|Content: AAW POP Exhibition”, Woodworker West, May/June, 2023
“Wonderful World of Wood”, Woodworker West, August 2022
“Contemporary Artist Explores New Beginnings”, Lewiston Tribune, April 29, 2021
“Wood Artisans at the Dahman Barn”, Woodworker West, Sept-Oct 2020,
“The Art Spirit Gallery”, Woodworker West, July 2021
“Dahmen Barn Show”, Woodworker West, July 2021
“Championing Idaho”, Boise Weekly, Mar 18, 2020
“Jill Kyong’s handsome “Shelf” works echo the precisionist aesthetic of early 20th-century American art with their machined look, smooth surfaces and crisp materiality. Kyong’s smart, strong rectilinear compositions in dark and light wood, accented by precisely milled “stones” of maple are beautifully executed.” Christopher Schnoor
Education:
MFA candidate, Univ of Idaho, Art & Architecture, current
Post Baccalaureate, Univ of AR Little Rock, Windgate Center of Art & Design, 2018
Artist Inc. Fellow, Mid America Arts Council, Little Rock, AR, 2017
BFA, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, sculpture & metal casting, 1997
Teaching:
Teacher of Record, University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture, Foundations, 2022 – present
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Windgate Art School (formerly Arkansas Arts Center), wood working, 2013 – 2018
Private and community art lessons to youth and teens
Volunteer:
Props and Costume designer, Champaign Urbana Ballet Company, 2002-2009
Commissions & Private Collections:
Collected in the United States and internationally.
email:
jillkyong@gmail.com