My Return to Korea | 저의 귀국입니다 by Victoria Hills

ART EXHIBIT RECEPTION

Opening reception for My Return to Korea | 저의 귀국입니다 by Victoria Hills. Exhibit runs from June 14–July 25.

Artist's Statement
In October 2023, at 23 years old, I returned to Korea with my mother for the first time since I was seven. This exhibition represents what I found when I went looking for myself in Korea, and what I learned about where I come from. South Korea is a beautiful country, with wonderful colors everywhere you look, and resourceful ways of solving everyday problems in every home. But where my family is from in Bian Myeon, a rural township in the North Gyeongsang Province, they have seen the dilapidation of their community, though not by choice. In Bian, you’ll find lovely grandmothers visiting and making naughty jokes, taking care of the local market, the restaurants and coffee shops. The stray cats try their best to get into their garbage but are met with swats. It’s a town that has grown old and wise and connected and self-sufficient. But there are empty seats in their schools and the young families have moved away closer to the cities. Modernity in Korea happened rapidly, leaving some behind in the process. While the urban centers are filled to the brim with people, services, and business, the rural communities rely on each other to tend to their farms and livestock, and to their aunts and caretakers for hour-long rides to their doctors appointments. It's a community of hope, trust, and love in the best form. They love it there in their hallowed town, and I do too, especially my grandmother, Kim Soon-Ja. My grandmother is a badass. She tells it how it is, even when you didn‘t know that you needed to hear it. She’s a short firecracker and full of laughter and emotion. She’s the sweetest grandmother and a snapping mother in the same sentence. She feeds me until I can’t eat anymore, and comforts me in a home made of love and years in the restaurant business. This exhibition is a tribute to her, and to my mother who gives me the connection to home in Korea that I so crave

Artist Bio
Victoria Hills is a photographer based in Salt Lake City, where she’s lived for the past 8 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Utah and currently works in communications for the Utah Historical Society. Victoria considers herself a documentary photographer, with a passion for storytelling and timeless candid moments. Her photography ranges from portraiture to live music to landscapes and recently, weddings. Her primary medium is 35mm and medium format film, and would prefer to shoot film for every project for its intentionality and unique character.

Upcoming events