Hanmono is a two-piece remake of traditional Japanese garments: the kimono (dress) and haori (jacket). The kimono is constructed from the skirts of two Korean dresses (hanbok). The haori is made from a Korean duvet quilt characteristic of the bright colors adorning a Korean hanbok. Discarded and deconstructed, the Korean hanbok and duvet cover are remade into Japanese traditional garments, switching out one cultural attire for another.
From the early 1900s to 1945, the Empire of Japan waged an all-out war on Korean culture, banning the Korean language and compelling people to adopt Japanese surnames, erasing their Korean identities. In Hanmono, Kim reconstructs this erasure of identity through fashion and textiles, wrestling with both collective and personal pain.