Kim Soo-ja awarded France’s Officier of Arts and Letters for global artistic contributions

Renowned for her "Bottari" works, the Korean artist receives France’s second-highest cultural honor

Kim Soo-ja (right) receives the Order of Arts and Letters (Officier) from French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux at the residence of the French ambassador to Korea in Seoul, Wednesday. (Studio Kimsooja)

Kim Soo-ja, the internationally acclaimed Korean artist often referred to as the “Bottari artist,” has been awarded the Officier medal of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government in recognition of her contributions to global art and cultural exchange.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday that Kim received the honor during a ceremony held Wednesday at the residence of the French ambassador to Korea in Seoul.

The Order of Arts and Letters was established by the French Ministry of Culture in 1957 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts and culture in France and around the world.

The award has three grades: Commandeur (Commander), Officier (Officer) and Chevalier (Knight). Kim was previously named a Chevalier in 2017 and has now been elevated to the second-highest rank, Officier.

Kim is widely known for reinterpreting traditional Korean textiles — such as bojagi (wrapping cloth) and bedding — into contemporary visual language. Although she has received attention in Korea, her work has been especially prominent on the global stage. Her promotion to Officier reflects her ongoing creative work and her role in fostering cross-cultural dialogue between France, Korea, and the broader international art community.

Her signature series, "Bottari" — meaning "bundle" in Korean — uses fabric-wrapped objects to explore themes of migration, displacement, mobility and memory. Through this concept, Kim contemplates both Korean identity and universal human conditions, earning her widespread acclaim in the contemporary art world.

Born in 1957, Kim studied painting at Hongik University in Seoul and learned lithography at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in France in 1984. She has since represented Korea in major international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, the Lyon Biennale, and the Sao Paulo Biennale.