TAEDONG KIM

Taedong Kim, also known as James, is a Contemporary sculptor whose practice explores memory, time, and material residue through what he describes as fictional archaeology. Born in South Korea, he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Seoul National University and a Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech. His interdisciplinary background informs a sculptural language that merges architectural sensibility with poetic material investigation.

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Working between the Washington Metropolitan Area and New York, Kim-James reimagines objects from contemporary life as if they were artifacts unearthed in a distant future. Through layered materials, visible seams, and surfaces marked by repair and corrosion, his sculptures examine memory as imperfect, unresolved, and continuously unfolding. Rather than narrating the past, his works function as quiet archives, holding traces of time, experience, and transformation.

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Kim-James has exhibited internationally, including appearances at SCOPE Miami (2021–2023). His recent solo exhibition Relic was presented at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Washington, D.C., while his debut Seoul solo exhibition Fictional Archaeology at Geumboseong Art Center marked a significant milestone after two decades of practice. A member of the Washington D.C. Korean American Artists Association, Kim-James continues to develop a body of work that challenges conventional perceptions of time, culture, and the fragile permanence of the modern world.