Born in Daegu, South Korea, Kimsooja initially trained as a painter, earning her B.F.A. and M.F.A. from Hong-Ik University in Seoul. She furthered her education in printmaking at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris after receiving a scholarship in 1984. Her transition from traditional painting to conceptual practice began to take shape following her first solo exhibition at Gallery Hyundai in 1988.

Her practice is defined by the principles of non-doing and non-making, which challenge the traditional role of the artist. She frequently employs textiles—specifically the bottari, or traditional Korean fabric bundle—as a central motif to investigate concepts of displacement, migration, and the human experience. Her work often manifests as immersive, site-specific installations that integrate film, photography, and sound to engage with the surrounding environment.

Kimsooja maintains a global presence, working across studios in New York City, Paris, and Seoul. Her work is held in the collections of numerous international museums and has been featured in major public art spaces and global exhibitions, reflecting her ongoing investigation into the intersection of aesthetics and cultural identity.