Jimin Kim who makes art works with labels from clothes has interests not only in products themselves of the well-know brands, but also in the brands themselves as they are. Especially, the most interesting thing which grasped his attention is how the labels stand for brands, and he glanced that the labels on the clothes have their own intention to their own world, not just clothe worth-ness as products.
At the sparking moment, Jimin found that the splendid and gorgeous labels, which stimulate consumption and indicate the worth-ness of the products, have the back side of labels which show how the labels are made of and they are just pieces of fabrics with woofs and threads. He found it very irony and the way he felt became art works which is the [The Fan] series.

[The Fan] series used the back of labels which has no information as labels and the labels are attached each others which are transformed to a big fan or target shapes of art works. At the same time, this work erases the symbolic meanings the labels produce.
Rearranged the labels which lost its inborn functionality are not stands for the brands which have enthusiastic fans anymore and the labels are reborn as fan shaped art works by Jimin Kim. Critical point of view of [The Fan] series has its seriousness and wit at the same time. The fan as in person and the fan as a fan made by labels are homophony. I am not sure if that was intentional or not. However, [Oxymoron] the title of this exhibition proves the artist enjoys the duplex meanings and descriptions.
Oxymoron means contradiction. Oxymoron origins from Greece and it is a compound word; Oxy stands for "Sharp" and moros stands for "dull". Therefore, oxymoron has the meaning of "sharp dull" like a contradiction description and same description could be 'open secrete', 'sweet sorrow', 'sound of silence, and etc.
Just like 'Oxymoron', opposite facts which could not stand along put together and they are retouched and they become the art work of Jimin Kim.
Oxymoron is different from The Fan series in shapes and representations. While The Fan series which used only the back of labels have geometric shapes, Oxymoron which used front and back of labels is described as a fish in a folding screen. In Oxymoron, front and back of the folding screen has same shape of a fish, but different surface materials are shown.

Front and back of labels are met in a same fish and it follows the direction of contradiction like the meaning of 'Oxymoron'. Two opposite meaning of things are put together. Jimin's intention is not that, by the visual distinction, spectators could realize the difference instantly. What he wants is spectators must relocate their points of view by walking across the folding screen. This kind of composition works with 'The Fan' series. Back of labels have been hidden until now, but now 'Oxymoron' reveals the hidden parts and this surprise makes this artwork more dramatic.
In this exhibition, with labels show-up of this society is mirrored and ironical two different sides of labels are described in a fun way. I believe that is what Jimin Kim is trying to show. In conclusion, 'Oxymoron' is a fun play which brings out the seriousness of all things and their reasons. In other words, serious play is what Jimin Kim chases and is his world in art.

By Seung Kwon Kim / Cais Gallery director