For Immediate Release

Contact: Colleen Stockmann, (415) 565-0545 ext 10

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—NOVEMBER 18, 2008—The San Francisco Center for the Book presents "Wings for Words: New Bookworks from Korea and Japan," curated by Alisa Golden, in the Center's Austin/Burch Gallery from January 23 - April 17, 2009. There will be a public reception Thu, Feb. 12, 6-8pm. The gallery hours are Mon-Fri, 10-5; Sat, 12-4.

The San Francisco Center for the Book presents an exhibition of bookworks from fourteen professional artists working in South Korea and Japan today. These contemporary bookworks embrace a variety of techniques from altered books to woodblock printing. The artists bring their individual styles to their works, inspired by cultural, natural, and personal themes.

Some of the books, like Ryoko Adachi's bioethical version of Jack and the Beanstalk, have narrative text, other books, like Haran Kim's Striped Dictionary are altered, sculptural works, with the words used as visual texture. Kyung Hee Kim uses bird imagery in Plus & Minus, while Sangmi Chun shows the story of Snow Queen as a snowflake, also reminiscent of flying. In this exhibition, "wings for words" becomes the metaphor for the books themselves; books are the wings, transporting the artists' feelings and thoughts to the readers. The works are in Korean, Japanese, German, and English.

For many of the participants, this will be the first time their works will be shown in the United States. The artists, chosen from recommended lists, have sent their books via air to San Francisco: Ryoko Adachi, Sangmi Chun, Hiroko Fukumoto, Ryo Hamada, Haran Kim, Kyung Hee Kim, Narae Kim, Kahoru Otani, Eunkyung Park, Veronika Shäpers, Kanako Shibata, Hea lim Shin, Mitsutaka Tanimoto, and Young Kil Yim.

The public is invited to a reception Thursday, February 12, 2009 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. until 4 p.m.The San Francisco Center for the Book is located at 300 De Haro Street, entrance on 16th Street.

For more information contact:
Colleen Stockmann
(415) 565-0545 ext. 10

About San Francisco Center for the Book
The San Francisco Center for the Book (SFCB) Book is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring and encouraging contemporary interpretations of the book as an art object, as well as preserving the traditional art of book-making. The Center provides both a home for Bay Area book artists and a place where the wider community can discover book arts.

Location:
300 De Haro Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

The exhibition is supported in part by the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund Grants for the Arts.

Sangmi Chun: Snow Queen

Sangmi Chun: Snow Queen (detail)

Kyung-Hee Kim: Duplicate

Kyung-Hee Kim: Plus & Minus

Ryoko Adachi: Jack and the Beanstalk