Unearthing The Untold: Stories of North Korean Women Through UNSEEN Exhibition

Behind decades of enforced silence lies a story of resistance and resilience – one that North Korean women have long endured. UNSEEN, the first international exhibition dedicated to amplifying their lives and voices, opened from September 20th, 2025 to September 27th, 2025 at LUME Studio in New York City. Through art, testimony, and archives, the exhibition confronts the invisibility that has defined their experiences. EnVi spoke online to Dr. Stephanie Seungmin Kim, curator of UNSEEN, on the message of the exhibition, the  curating process, and Dr. Kim’s own vision for the exhibition’s long-term impact.

Capturing The Resilience

“This is not just an exhibition – it’s a call to witness, to remember, and to act. These women are not voiceless. We just haven’t been listening.” 

Curated by Korean-born Dr. Stephanie Seungmin Kim and presented in partnership with a consortium of leading human rights organizations – including Amnesty International, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Hanvoice, the International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights (NK Net) – the exhibition brings together 14 international artists. Their works reimagine and give voice to the untold stories of North Korean women, the quiet force that sustains underground economies, resists patriarchal control, and secures family survival under one of the world’s most repressive regimes.

Dr. Kim shared, “In 1950, the United Nation Security Council voted to authorize the Korean War intervention while meeting in New York back in 1950. This year, we mark the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and UNGA will be held here in New York. There is no more fitting time and place to confront the unseen conditions of North Korean women – whose rights remain unrecognized and their voices unheard. This city, a symbol of international discourse and possibility, offers a stage to insert their realities into the global conscience.” 

Furthermore, she hopes that in these challenging and divisive times, particularly in North Korea, UNSEEN stands as a message of beauty, strength, and resilience. The exhibition underscores the power of art to transcend barriers, languages, and time, and is envisioned as a catalyst for change that will be remembered for years to come.

Seeing What’s Inside UNSEEN

UNSEEN is accompanied by a powerful public awareness campaign featuring portraits of North Korean women by photographer Mihaela Noroc. These images – displayed on billboards in Times Square and across 68 news stands throughout Manhattan – anchor the exhibition’s visual identity, designed by Marina Willer, the first female partner at Pentagram. The campaign challenges the public to reconsider visibility, justice, and solidarity through the stories of women who were never meant to be seen. 

“The red dot plays a haunting yet unforgettable role in this campaign,” said Willer. “By obscuring women’s faces, it symbolizes both an act of violence and a gesture of dignity – signaling resilience even in erasure. Its translucent quality forces both concealment and eye contact, compelling audiences to confront their suffering directly.” 

The exhibition will open with the premiere of “Her Light: Unseen,” an original campaign song composed by Yajac HS Kim in collaboration with GRAMMY- and Emmy-winning producers Clark Germain and Matthew Kajcienski of 2 Olives & a Twist.

Spanning 3,400 square feet across two floors, UNSEEN weaves sacred, historical, and radical visual languages into a transformative experience. Upstairs, abstract works evoke protection and spiritual endurance through motifs such as pagodas, prayer bows, rose windows, and moon jars. Downstairs, stitched portraits and multimedia installations share intimate stories of grief, labor, and courage. An immersive soundscape – specially composed for the exhibition – interacts with lighting installations to create a meditative environment that guides visitors through the testimonies. 

“Together, these layers – research, artistic collaboration, thematic development, design, production, and writing – formed the foundation of the exhibition. It was an intense and global effort, with teams spread across Seoul, Paris, London, Los Angeles, and New York, working almost around the clock. That’s what it takes to pull off something as ambitious, complex and powerful as UNSEEN,” Dr. Kim said. 

For her, meeting the North Korean escapees for the first time in Seoul was a truly moving experience, and seeing the looks on their faces as they experienced UNSEEN in New York on opening night with hundreds of people reacting to their stories was unforgettable. 

“The exhibition works as a whole — I would love to say it is like a combination code — a key to people’s hearts. As I watched visitors linger in the gallery, I thought to myself: the true heart of this exhibition is reaching them. Many shed tears and told me, ‘Thank you for bringing us this show.’ To witness that resonance has been the most rewarding part of curating UNSEEN,” she mentioned. 

Hands That Made UNSEEN COme To LifE

Christine Harris Amos
Born in the Midwest and based in San Clemente, California, Christine is an intaglio printmaker who works with photogravures. She has developed innovative methods for incorporating the process into books and exhibitions.

Liliana Porter
Originally from Argentina, Liliana is a New York-based multidisciplinary artist working across photography, printmaking, installation, and theater. Exhibited internationally since the 1960s, her works are part of major collections including MoMA, the Whitney, Tate Modern, and the Guggenheim.

Livia Turco
An Italian-born sculptor, Livia blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary expression. She has worked with Madame Tussauds and on projects in the U.S. Trained in Turin and at the Wimbledon School of Art (UAL), she is also the founder of The Figurative Sculpture School.

Mia Enell
Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, Mia is a visual artist focused on painting and drawing. Her work has been shown at the Sorbonne Art Gallery (Paris), Drawing Room (London), and The Immigrant Artist Biennial (New York). She has received the Elfi von Kantzow Alvin Art Award and the American-Scandinavian Society Cultural Grant.

Mihaela Noroc
A Romanian photographer, Mihaela has spent 12 years traveling the world capturing women’s portraits and stories. Her acclaimed project “The Atlas of Beauty” celebrates global diversity and authenticity.

Minsang Cho
Born in South Korea, Minsang is a lighting artist whose practices bridge design, craft, and architectural lighting engineering. His work has been presented at major design fairs and art exhibitions, including Art Capital in Paris.

Nari Choi
Seoul-born contemporary artist Nari works primarily with acrylic and canvas. She has exhibited widely in Korea and internationally, including at Mall Galleries (London), Saatchi Gallery, and Art1: New Museum (Jakarta). She holds a BFA and PhD in Fine Arts from Sungshin Women’s University.

Sunme Lee
A Seoul-based sculptor, Sunme creates works from discarded eyeglass lenses – objects that once carried someone’s gaze. For her, each lens reflects human presence: flawed up close, but glimmering collectively from afar.

Tracy Weisman
Born in Rhode Island, Tracy is a multidisciplinary artist working in textiles, assemblage, sculpture, and photography. Her practice engages with cultural icons and American sensibilities, and her works have been exhibited at the Stephanie Kim Gallery (NYC) and held in private collections.

Yeojin Kim
Seoul-born contemporary artist Yeojin studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris. She has held solo shows in Korea and group exhibitions in France. She is the Grand Prize winner at the Uijeongbu Arts Center Emerging Artist Awards and has been recognized by the Naver and Emerige Foundations, as well as Galerie Krux Paris.

Yong Nam Kim
Based in Seoul, Yong Nam is both an interior designer and sculptor. Winner of the Gwangju Biennale Open Call, she has also presented solo exhibitions. Her works have been selected as gifts for the British monarch and the presidents of France and Vietnam. She is a graduate of Ewha Womans University College of Fine Arts.

Yong Eun (May) Kwon
A Seoul-born mixed media artist, Yong Eun (May) transforms memories and meditative rituals into visual installations. She has exhibited in New York at LatchKey Gallery, SVA Flatiron Gallery, and Stephanie Kim Gallery. She earned her BFA at Ewha Womans University and her MFA at SVA.

Youngha Park
A Seoul-born creative director and graphic designer, Youngha has collaborated with leading figures such as Alessandro Mendini and Neville Brody. He has served as a judge for international design awards and holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

Younghi Kang
Also from Seoul, Younghi is a mixed-media canvas artist working with acrylic, pigments, Chinese ink, and gel stone. She has held 22 solo shows and participated in numerous international exhibitions, fairs, and collaborations. She holds a BFA from Sungshin Women’s University and is currently active as both an artist and lecturer.

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