Shin-hee Chin will once again be the Raymer Society artist-in-residence from December 8-January 31.
Shin-hee, a Professor of Art at Tabor College in Hillsboro, will prepare for two upcoming exhibitions, the first one November 6-27, 2026, at Harvester Art Center in Wichita, and the second exhibition May 7-July 23, 2028, at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery.
Chin's statement regarding her residency:
During this time, I will review my past works and explore new directions for my practice. I aim to move away from an approach driven by “labor” and “filling,” and instead embrace contemplation and emptiness—a slower, more deliberate way of seeing and making. This residency will serve as a space for that transition.
Since moving to the United States at 29, my 37 years here have been shaped by living between two worlds. Yet this in-betweenness is no longer a state of opposition; it has become a productive tension—a dialogue and a mirror that reflects and harmonizes both sides. The self that turns inward and the self that reaches outward are not bound by an East-West dichotomy, but rather flow within a deeper continuum of thought that connects past and present.
This reflection ultimately awakens a sense of our shared habitat—the Earth—and the life, environment, plants, and fungi within it, drawing us into the rhythms and networks of its ecology. To contemplate the “small self” (microcosm) is to trace the map of relationships, a process that connects to the “larger self” (macrocosm) expanding toward society, the world, the planet, and the cosmos.
I continue to work with recycled materials and hand-stitching—a primitive and slow method. This slowness is not
merely technical; it is a conscious choice to preserve honesty, attentiveness, and human sensibility in an era where speed and efficiency—especially under the influence of AI—are becoming absolute values. Through the repetitive movement of the hand, I question the relationships between labor and thought, body and mind, technique and meaning. Rather than being swept along uncritically by technological change, I seek ways to engage and respond actively as an artist.
This residency will deepen these inquiries and guide my work into its next phase.
Shin-hee may not always be working in the studio during business hours, so please call 785-227-2217 before coming for a visit. The Red Barn Studio Museum is open Tuesday through Friday 10:00am-5:00pm and 1:00-5:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit redbarnstudio.org.
A reception at the Red Barn Studio Museum on January 18 from 2:00-4:00pm will be held for Shin-hee as the featured event of the Lindsborg Cultural Crawl.
