We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joy Yoon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joy below.
Alright, Joy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
From 2023 May to 2024 April, I had worked on my senior art exhibition, Lutalica, non-stop. Deciding the topic of the show was not difficult; it has always been something I wanted to talk about since coming to California. As a Korean who didn’t grow up in Korea, I had a sense of confusion and unexplainable emotions about my identity, often feeling detached from the traditional definition of a “true Korean.” I decided to talk about the discomfort that comes with being mislabeled and question the concept of having a fixed identity. I met different types of Korean: Korean American, half Korean, Korean international.. however people often call them. Based on their interview responses, I created an audio piece, a fabric installation, and 15 pieces of painting. Hearing them talk about what it is like to be a Korean and how they accept the culture and identity has been a striking experience. It made me realize that identity is not confined to a specific form. I realized that there is a need to embrace the complexities of identity beyond what is, in reality, a thin veneer of difference.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hello,
My name is Joy Yoon and I’m an artist whose work is deeply influenced by the personal experience in life. My work captures details and nuances of feeling that are often overlooked in the midst of daily lives.
I enjoy the interplay of light, shadow, and textures, particularly in portraying features of the human face. I delve into the connection of cultural background with identity formation in different mediums,
I started to draw from young age. I was always that student who drew on the back page of the notebook during class. I continued my passion in drawing and painting, studied fine art in college. During my undergrad studies, I realized that my art keeps coming back to the theme of home, identity and misplacement. My background of being born in Korea but growing up in China with American friends brought me confusion and frustration of misunderstandings of who I was.
I continue to question where home is and where I belong through painting and installation. As the result of the research, this past April through May, I showcased a painting exhibition of “Lutalica: an unraveling piece of you that never found a home.” I hope to continue to draw attention to the discomfort that comes with being mislabeled and encourage contemplation of broader themes of identity.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that you can soothe yourself. From a long list of things you can do to enjoy yourselves, art can be one of the most productive and healing activity. You are able to create your own world that impacts yourself and other people in unimaginable ways. The greater the struggle, the greater the rewards!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
In order to appreciate artwork, public needs to be exposed to it. The artists and creatives must thrive to expose their work, not limited to the art market but to all areas of life. When the exposure deepens, people will start to desire aesthetic works and understand wider variety of art,
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gopaintjoy.com
- Instagram: @gopaintjoy
