Victoria J. Shin

Victoria J. Shin (b.1982)

Victoria J. Shin’s artistic journey is as layered and dynamic as the works she creates. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and dividing her time between Seoul and New York City, Victoria’s life is a confluence of cultures, philosophies, and artistic traditions. Her work reflects this duality, bridging Eastern and Western influences to explore themes of identity, memory, and the human spirit.

Art was an intrinsic part of Victoria’s life from the beginning. Her early years were spent immersed in the vibrant world of her mother’s studios and galleries on Madison Avenue, the Upper East Side, and downtown Chelsea in New York City. With a mother who was both an artist and a gallerist, Victoria grew up surrounded by creativity. The scent of oil paints, the vibrant energy of artistry, and the sight of her mother’s canvases formed the foundation of her artistic pursuits, shaping her understanding of art as both a legacy and a language of expression.

Victoria moved to Manhattan, New York City at the age of 11, where she attended the Marymount School and later boarding schools in Connecticut. These formative years, steeped in the cultural vibrancy of 1990s America and the traditions of her Korean heritage, shaped her worldview and artistic sensibilities.

Victoria’s education at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned a BFA in Graphic Design in 2004, further refined her approach to art. Immersed in New York’s dynamic art scene, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum practically at her doorstep, she drew inspiration from both classical masterpieces and contemporary innovations. Her artistic voice began to take shape, blending minimalist simplicity with complex layering, a style that would come to define her work.

Victoria’s portraits are striking in their ability to capture the essence of her subjects. She views the face as a map of life and history, a gateway to the spirit. This belief is deeply rooted in the Korean concept of “Ul Goul,” where "Ul" signifies spirit and "Goul" means passage. Each portrait begins with the eyes, which she sees as the windows to the soul, revealing the intricacies of emotion, thought, and experience. Through bold black lines, expressive brushstrokes, and rich contrasts achieved with acrylic paint and traditional Korean meok (ink), Victoria distills the human face into its most essential elements.

Her work transcends traditional portraiture, offering a poetic meditation on identity, memory, and time. Drawing from both Korean and Western influences, she constructs layered compositions that function as archaeological maps—visual excavations of the self and its hidden histories.

Through an innovative use of materials—fabrics, leather, Korean hanji paper, 24K gold and platinum leafed reliefs, and iridescent mother-of-pearl powder—she builds tactile surfaces rich in cultural and symbolic resonance. Fabrics suggest intimacy and the rhythms of daily life; leather speaks to resilience and personal history; 24K gold leaf evokes transcendence and sacredness; and mother-of-pearl powder embodies transformation and luminosity.

These elements converge in works that invite the viewer to engage with what is seen—and what remains unspoken. In each portrait, the passage of time is layered into the very fabric of the piece, offering a timeless reflection on the human experience.

Victoria’s style exists at the intersection of fullness and void. Inspired by her Korean heritage, she embraces the power of emptiness, allowing silence to carry as much weight as form. At the same time, her work reflects the Western penchant for complexity, with intricate layers that evoke the passage of time and memory. This duality—silence and expression, simplicity and complexity—creates a dialogue within her work, inviting viewers to pause and engage deeply.

Through her art, Victoria seeks to uncover the hidden narratives within each gaze, capturing the ephemeral and the eternal in a single moment. Her portraits are not just depictions but meditations, offering a space for introspection and connection. By merging tradition and innovation, she creates works that are deeply personal yet universally resonant, celebrating the richness and complexity of the human experience.