Born in Seoul, KR
Currently based in Jeju, KR >> UNLEARNINGSPACE.COM
Education
Yale University School of Art, New Haven, CT. MFA. 2018
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI. BFA. 2012
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Currently based in Jeju Island, Korea, my work weaves untold stories of water and women as part of my hydro-feminist worldmaking practice. I explore alternative ways of listening, speaking, reading, and writing with an awareness of our fluid positions.
Connecting my artistic practice and research in everyday life, I run Unlearning Space, an artist-run space and experimental art education programme.
I have taught and collaborated with various organizations internationally, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, State University of New York, Purchase College (US), London College of Arts (UK), Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL), Istanbul Bilgi University (TR), Paju Typography Institute, Seoul University (KR), UN Women, to name a few.
요이는 한국 제주도에 거주하는 예술가이자 교육자, 연구자이다. 하이드로 페미니스트의 시선에서 물과 여성의 관점을 이야기한다. 끊임없이 변화하는 사회, 정치, 생태적 환경의 흐름에 따라 개인의 위치가 어떻게 바뀌는지 질문하고, 그간의 사회 구조에서 발화되지 못했던 우리 몸에 배어있는 이야기들을 꺼내어 엮는 대안적 듣기, 말하기, 읽기와 쓰기를 실험한다.
현재 제주도의 Unlearning Space에서 예술 작업에 기반한 리서치, 리서치에 기반한 예술 작업을 통해, 예술가, 교육자, 연구자로서의 활동을 균형 있게 이어가고 있다.
Yale University와 Rhode Island School of Design에서 시각 디자인을 공부하고 Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, State University of New York, Purchase College, London College of Arts, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Paju Typography Institute, UN Women 등 에서 다양한 종류의 협업과 강의를 했다.
November 2024
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My work weaves various gazes on images of the body and bodily gestures to re-imagine stories about one’s identity. Traveling from individual to collective and ecological perspectives, I follow personal memories, family histories, socio-political backgrounds and cultural heritages embedded in one’s body, for perhaps thousands of years. I observe how they emerge as part of everyday rituals today, and influence a direct correspondence with our surroundings.
Breaking deeply rooted traditions of patriarchy, I just returned home and published a series of gender equality children’s books. I am currently working on haenyeo and hydrofeminism projects, living in Jeju island, South Korea.
September 2022
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I’ve been also working as a design consultant for various artists and institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Grace Farms Foundation, Queens Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, among others, for exhibitions, publications, and visual identity.
Open for facilitating workshops, talks, collaboration, and commissioned work +
yoe.ryou@gmail.com
@whyryou
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As an expat myself who grew up in Korea and now lives and works in America, my work explores the tension between individualism and collectivism in this time.
I grew up in a politically liberal, Korean-Catholic family, who followed the traditions of Taoism and Confucianism. My name was given according to the family genealogy books, passed down through generations and generations, starting from the Koryŏ dynasty, established in 918. The names of our family members were pre-determined based on The Yin-Yang and Five Element and Planet Theories, to include the elements of Wood (Jupiter), Fire (Mars), Earth (Saturn), Metal (Venus), and Water (Mercury) in balance.
The two characters from my first name include the element of Venus, representing a large drum-shaped bell made out of shining gold and silver. The bell was historically a primary source of communication used at ceremonies to pay homage to the ancestors, to announce important gatherings, to herald political and social events, and to accompany rites and rituals.
It is fascinating to learn about the somewhat contradictory values and philosophies embedded in my family tradition, especially when I found out that I was a first generation to be included in the family naming system as a daughter. In a patriarchal society influenced by Confucian tradition, a woman’s position within the family was temporary, ending when she was married. Thus, it is still common that women are not included in the family naming system. My grandfather, who was a liberal, human-rights activist and lawyer, changed the “rules” when I was born, and included daughters to the naming tradition. He also gave me a Catholic name, Elizabeth.
With great appreciation and curiosity towards my cultural background and values, I often felt overwhelmed by Korean collectivist culture, because the focus was always on ‘Us’ rather than ‘Me.’ Now that I’ve adapted to individualistic culture living in the US, I clearly recognize that a culture of individualism clashes with collectivism in myself as well as in our contemporary society: How can we distinguish between our own intuitive desires and what society is telling us we should strive for, in order to be loved and accepted? How do we shape our individual identities, making choices and forging our own paths, while recognizing our inherent need for belonging and connection?
November 2018