Angelica Kim Freeman’s artistic journey reflects the profound influence of spiritual history and cultural heritage on creative expression, as well as an enduring search for beauty and dignity in life’s complexities. Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, she later lived in the United States and in post-Soviet Central Asia, where she encountered diverse histories of struggle and resilience that continue to shape her work today.
Her path was nurtured at a design school in Seoul and through mentorship with a Parisian designer. At sixteen she was accepted into Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, where she developed a passion for sculpture and received awards and grants. She later attended the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), drawn to the glass department founded by Dale Chihuly, and immersed herself in the intricate art of glass. During this time her work appeared in publications such as Clerestory Journal of Arts and Vision Art Magazine.
A severe health crisis, marked by operations and musculoskeletal injuries, interrupted her practice for nearly a decade. Now married and a mother of two, she has returned with renewed passion. She recently completed her BFA in Studio Art (Sculpture), graduating summa cum laude and receiving recognition for outstanding achievement.
Freeman’s work has been featured in juried exhibitions including the 50th Annual Juried Show at Anderson Arts Center (Merit Award, 2025), the 43rd Annual Juried Art Competition at the Pickens County Museum (2025), Artisphere’s Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition (2025), the Thornback Gallery’s juried exhibition (2025), and multiple group shows in the region. Her debut solo exhibition, Kindled Silence, will open in 2025 at Hampton III Gallery, the oldest gallery in South Carolina, where she will be the gallery’s first Asian artist.
Drawing on ancestral and spiritual roots, Freeman’s work carries forward a legacy of sacrifice and perseverance. Her lineage connects her to notable figures in Korean history, including the assassinated last queen of Joseon and her great-great-grandfather, a militia commander who gave his life in Korea’s independence struggle. These histories of suffering and faith fuel her empathy for the marginalized and oppressed. Through collaborations with organizations working to rescue North Korean women and children from exploitation, she seeks to honor this heritage by reflecting themes of sacrifice, redemption, and hope in her art.
Artist Statement
In the American South, where landscapes carry both scars and beauty, I create sculptures that embody paradoxes of fragility and strength, silence and testimony, hardship and hope. I work with reclaimed wood gathered in the aftermath of storms, fragments of stained glass salvaged from demolished chapels, and remnants of marble once destined for grand Southern homes. Each material, marked by loss, is transformed into a form of endurance, light, and redemption.
These materials echo my own history, rooted in the Far East, where my ancestors endured imperial violence, displacement, and Stalin’s ethnic cleansing of Koreans. My great-great-grandfather, a militia commander, gave his life for freedom. Today, half of the country for which my forebears sacrificed remains under one of the world’s most oppressive regimes, where countless people are forced to flee, often trafficked and sold. From my studio, I seek to bridge these silenced histories - so their voices may shine, unforgotten.
