Today we’d like to introduce you to Yooyeon Nam
Hi Yooyeon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I am Yooyeon Nam! I am an oil painter living and working in New York, originally from Seoul, South Korea. I started painting about a decade ago in my early 20s. I was good at drawing and my hobby was always drawing, but I did not think of becoming an artist before then. However, I realized that I always wanted to live a creative life when I was inspired by a rock band Nell at a music festival. I started to teach myself to draw and paint, and eventually wanted to learn painting more deeply and professionally, since it was hard for me to teach oil painting myself and improve myself better and faster as I expect myself to be. I decided to go to an art school, even though I was studying at a business school by then. In order to learn specifically oil painting, which is medium of western art, I decided to study abroad. I could speak English, so I came to the States, and studied at Pratt Institute, which is in New York City, the center of art.
I studied at the school for around 5 to 6 years, because of Covid, and started to work as a painting assistant right after earning my BFA in painting from Pratt Institute, but of course continuing to paint my own works as well. I was sure by then how and what I want to paint. I developed my own original character, through which I explore the weird nature of the world, where we are disconnected from each other within our own community. I investigate what it is to be an outsider in both my own culture and the chosen culture. Beyond the cultural hardships, the world and lives are inherently strange, as they lack any innate meaning or predetermined purpose. The eerie discomfort is further evoked through my usage of a wide array of colors and mysterious narratives. By depicting my characters as overly cute and adorable to suffer or be violent, I accentuate the sense of uncanniness, paradoxically intensifying the seriousness of my narratives.
With my paintings, I participated in as many shows, fairs and opportunities as possible. I had solo exhibitions, like “No Home in Wonderland” at A Space gallery, “Perfect Kidnapping” with ChaShaMa, and the virtual showcase “Kidnapped” with Artists Living Room, all in NYC. I participated in numerous group exhibitions, including “KIDS ONLY” at A Space gallery in Brooklyn, “Oasis of Color” at Van Der Plas Gallery in Manhattan, and fairs, including “Art Expo New York” with AGI Fine Art and “Asian Students and Young Artists Art Festival” in Seoul. In 2024, artist residencies like SVA residency, ChaNorth, and Woodstock Byrdcliffe gave me invaluable time and space to focus on new series of paintings and networking with other artists. Recently, I received an O-1 visa, also known as an artist visa, which allows me to stay in the States and continue building my art career. I’m excited to see how my work will evolve.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As you might guess about a normal painter’s life, it has not been a smooth road. Painting itself is always a struggle, but the biggest struggle has been making it possible to continue painting without being eaten up by the demands of survival and something that isn’t about creativity and dream.
I had to confirm myself and persuade my parents that this was the path that I want to walk, even if I would not earn as much as a business graduate. The compromise of my life and my desire was to graduate from my business school, since I would be able to use my business degree in case I could not survive and starve. I earned BBA from Yonsei University in 2019, which was ultimately a great decision despite the challenges, because it allowed me to get a job during COVID and I could work remotely back in the states even after Covid so that I could support myself.
After graduating from Pratt Institute, I faced additional challenges as a foreigner in the U.S. I needed a job to stay in the States for a year and then a visa to stay longer. I got a position as a painting assistant, but my first art job could not meet my high expectations. The studio was poorly managed, without clear systems, and eventually laid off several employees, including me, due to a controversy involving the artist. I was in panic since I had to find another way to get the visa, which was in process by then and which the studio promised me to support me with. That was the biggest obstacle I had to overcome recently. Fortunately, I could get some help and good suggestions from my friends, who helped me to overcome the situation.
Making painting possible has always been and will be my biggest struggle. Even now I am struggling to find a job to afford my living expenses and art materials. But despite these struggles, I am glad that it is worth struggling to keep painting.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I don’t consider being a painter as a job. I separate those two, not only because it is challenging to make a living from selling art, but also because having a job is about fulfilling others’ needs, while being a painter is about pursuing my own desire. Currently, regarding my art, I usually spend time creating my paintings and applying for opportunities to show my work.
I specialize in oil painting and am known for my original characters, use of wide array of coherent colors – including my skill with dark colors – and my grotesque narrative. I aim to reveal how strange it feels to live in a world full of people I’ll never understand 100%. Even my life itself does not have any predetermined goal, which makes me lonely but free at the same time. Deep solitude is the only thing that is profoundly freeing, however, I still need connections with others not to die in isolation. It is a paradox and a strip of border I am standing on. My characters are both my portraits in a way, and reflections of others. I investigate the weird feeling in life and worlds, expressing it with the colors and serious, often violent narratives with dynamic compositions.
I take pride in working mainly from imagination, without having to rely heavily on references, as I believe the true strength of painting lies in its ability to bring one’s inner visions to life. My imaginative approach, along with my coherency in color use—especially my darker tones—are what I feel set my work apart from others’ works.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There will be an invasion of AI-generated images on the internet, which discourages image makers and creative workers. The blow on the digital illustration fields and animation fields will be more intense and harsher. However, I do not think fine art will disappear. Fine art has survived all different kinds of technological shifts, including photography and videos, evolving and adapting along the way. Its strength lies in its analogue nature – it is meant to be experienced on-site, and a digital screen can never fully capture its essence.
I believe every action has a reaction and as digital imagery advances, so too will people’s desire for something tangible, analogue, and real, which is the heart of fine art. The Newtro trend can prove it. Even though digital images will be more prevalent online, people will still seek art that can be experienced only in person and in real life. Art museums remain popular because people want to engage with real, physical works, even though they could easily find the same images on Google.
Pricing:
- small paintings from $200
- big paintings depending on the size
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yooyeonnam.modoo.at/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yooyeon_nam/?hl=en
Image Credits
The sixth photo is taken by a staff from A Space Gallery.