In conversation with Min Joonhong

Meet: Min Joonhong, an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist who uses a wide range of artistic expression to create visual records which redefine how we view the urban landscape. The philosophy behind Min’s art focuses on the city as a “living space” and considers the components of the capitalist society we live in. Through his pieces, Min looks to “translate my personal memories and experiences into a visual narrative and to deliver my impression of modern society.” 

We met at 2Gil29 Gallery where Min’s first solo show in a commercial gallery here in South Korea was open, something he describes as very exciting, not least because it marks the introduction of his artwork created between 2023-2025, with an impressive 170+ pieces on display. Min himself is engaging and thoughtful, and his art is full of interesting motifs and surprises for the audience to enjoy. The colour palette he uses is unique and interesting; inspired by the wide spectrum of colours that feature in the London skyline during Spring, (something Min describes as “beautiful to behold”).

Min’s career began at Seoul National University, where the budding artist studied Painting at the College of Fine Arts before moving to England and continuing his studies with an MFA in Fine Art Media at the Slade School of Fine Art at UCL (he graduated with a distinction). Since then, Min has won 12 awards and grants for his art. Whilst he is currently based in London, Min shared with me that he has also been part of several residency programmes since 2016 in different countries, including New York, Paris, Milan and Berlin, and Gwangju in 2024. He spoke about how grateful he is to have had these experiences, which have not only given him exposure to different artists but also presented invaluable opportunities to explore his art and subject matter. Min described living in different cities as something that has shaped him, with the new atmosphere giving him a sense of freshness. The journey of creating art is something he describes as endless, and being something constantly growing and evolving. “Visually”, he shared, “upon arriving in a new city I take time to appreciate the atmosphere and environment. The different landscapes of different places allows me to rediscover my subject matter but also understand common themes and similarities.”

As an artist Min feels like a reporter visually recording our modern age and contemporary society. “On the surface,” he said, “the modern cities we know and love are busy, vibrant places but if you take a closer look you will see that many people are living with anxiety and depression.” This contradiction, Min notes, appears more notable since the pandemic and is one of the “symptoms of living in a capitalistic society”. By taking his own personal memories and experiences and translating them into a visual narrative, Min hopes to find a way of understanding the world a little better, “with its various interpretations opening up for diversity and mobility”.

We spoke about the different ways Min tries to describe the modern world and I learned that he takes great inspiration from a Late Hungarian Philosopher and Social Theorist Karl Polanyi. In particular, Polanyi’s book “The Great Transformation” which (as I understand it) explores the social and economic changes that came about as a result of the Industrial Revolution  and examines the foundation of the “market society”. The Quote: “Capitalism grinds down the communal fabric of humanity like satanic mills” (paraphrased). Through the use of the phrase “satanic mills” Polanyi explains how the system grinds all the positive parts of humanity (spirits, moral standards, community) down until they are the size of atomic dust (i.e. non-existent). Reading Polayni’s, Min immediately related with his vision. However, Min has incorporated the additional hopeful symbol of the windmill brining humanity and draws on the philosopher’s visions of socialism. It is for this reason that he referenced him in the title for his recent exhibition: “Nevertheless, the Windmill turns which incorporates an element of hope and resilience. The Windmill itself embodies the humanity itself as a juxtaposition. We live in a capitalist society but the system is an oxymoron. We’ve benefited from it too but it’s still a system with flaws. Even if we try to escape from the system, we can’t. If we try to fix it, we can’t. It’s just getting more detailed and more meticulous every turn and by making the windmill running, I try to explain my complicated emotions on the subject.”

A Korean philosopher explained it quite nicely, Min added, when he described the modern world as a ‘fatigue society’. “One which is performance and outcome focused and individuals living in this system often face feelings of “emptiness and depression”. I relate with that, as a young adult I strugged a lot with feelings of anxiety in a faced paced world full of fierce competition. I felt suffocated by that so that vision still resonates even now, a decade later. I can represent the character trying to survive or cope with aspects of society in various ways.

You can see the inspiration Min takes from visual effects in some of his artwork, and his installations are an intriguing mix of a wide variety of different elements. It’s easy to see why his art is popular. An interesting fact I learned while we were speaking is that Min creates his installation pieces from “waste objects from daily lives” which have been used, discharged and thus lost their original form and function. These items are then reassembled into new objects. This inspired idea came about as a result of Min passing items left on the street as he walked to his studio. He would often pass furniture and tools, even scaffold from construction sites. “Every time I came across these unexpected materials,” he shared, “I would feel a sense of empathy about the waste culture. Perhaps it is a bit maudlin but I feel that human beings are the same. We get used and as components of the system have our abilities exploited. We get discarded and distorted by the system too. Sometimes when I see discarded items I feel a sense of empathy and I take them to my studio where I repurpose them and incorporate the items into my art. To reincarnate the item, if you like.” 

I asked if Min had a particular piece of artwork that he is most proud of. He replied that he does not have one piece he has special attachment to, but rather just enjoys “the artistic process of making. When the piece is finished I feel a sense of accomplishment.” His main challenge as an artist is “being chased by time. When I’m planning pieces and envisioning scenarios and possibilities, the end result is often different to what I first imagined but I really love the process of configuring the best display.” Min has found the most surprising thing about being an artist is the continuation of creativity. “I find,” he said, “that creating is a great impetus for my next creation. I’m constantly creating something knew and I just want to continue on this life journey. It’s a privilege.”

Looking to the future and what is next in his career, Min shared that he has a dream of projecting his art on the side of buildings, but on a more general note, sees the way forward to simply continue his life journey as an artist: to work and create. As well as displaying his works at an Art Fair in New York and returning to Korea this month (June 2025) for a further exhibition here in Seoul which will see him presenting a new body of work.

Min’s advice to aspiring artists: Carpe diem (seize the day)