Jayoung Yoon Explained

Birth Date:June 14, 1979
Education:Hongik University; Cranbrook Academy of Art
Nationality:South Korean
Website:https://www.jayoungyoon.com
Birth Place:Seoul, South Korea
Known For:Sculpture, Textiles, Video, Performance

Jayoung Yoon (; born 1979) is a South Korean artist known for her interdisciplinary work using human hair and other natural materials.[1] Yoon draws inspiration from diverse sources, including Christian and Buddhist philosophies, as well as other spiritual traditions.[2] [3] Her artistic practice spans various media, including sculpture, performance, video, and two-dimensional works.[4] [5] Yoon lives and works in Beacon, New York, seeking to infuse her life and work with a closer connection to nature.

Early life and education

Yoon was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Hongik University in Korea and later moved to the United States in 2006 to continue her education. She received a Master of Fine Arts in fiber arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 2009.

Work

Themes and inspiration

Yoon's art is rooted in exploring invisible thoughts, perception and the body to achieve a state of mindfulness. Yoon views human hair as a symbol bridging the physical and spiritual realms, often using it as her primary material. She employs lengths of hair hand-knotted or woven together to create semi-transparent sculptural forms and two-dimensional geometric images.[6] [7] [8] These intricate structures that can take countless hours to create. The delicate and tactile nature of the medium demands attention and presence, as the work can shift as a result of subtle changes in airflow.

In addition to human hair, Yoon works with other natural materials such as feathers and milkweed seed fiber.[9] She has recently incorporated traditional Korean horsehair weaving techniques into her works, connecting her contemporary practice with cultural heritage.

Sculpture

Yoon's sculptural works explore themes of interconnectedness, emptiness, and life cycles. Web of Life (2015–2017), a large-scale work with a 9-foot diameter, is composed of tiny hand-made knots, intertwining hair from immediate and extended family members to represent their connection in life.[10] The Form and Emptiness series (2015–2017) features woven mesh boxes with geometric forms, hung from the ceiling. Each cradles a different geometric shape at its heart, creating a visual dialogue between form and void, structure and absence.[11] [12] The Skull (2016), a hair-adorned sculpture made of hair and glue, represents life cycles and mortality.[13] [14]   The Offering Bowl #7 (2022) uses her mother's hair, expressing the cycle of life and acknowledging the influence her mother played in her art.

Performances and video art

Extending her artistic practice, Yoon creates performance pieces and video art that further explore themes of meditation, mindfulness, and the connection between body and mind.[15] Her performances frequently involve subjecting herself to the elements for extended periods, aiming to achieve a state of empathetic mindfulness. In her film Listen to the Mind I (2009), a nine-minute video condensed from 10 hours of footage, Yoon lies naked in a white cube. A hair funnel from her ear remains unaffected by sunlight while her skin burns, symbolizing mental resilience amid physical change. Her short videos explore the reductive essence of meditation, as seen in works like Non-Ego (2010), a video installation featuring eleven large pots and the artist's body.[16] Another work, Umbicality (A close or intimate connection) (2012), explores the connection between sky and body, air and skin, using her hair to bridge between nothingness and form.[17] [18] In 2012, Yoon presented Clearing the Mind, a performance piece at Deep Tanks gallery, further demonstrating her exploration of meditative states through artistic expression.[19]

Critical reception

Critics describe Yoon's work as delicate and unsettling in its beauty, thought-provoking and contemplative.[20] [21] Her artistic approach is viewed as phenomenological,  investigating perception and the body. The tactile and fragile nature of her chosen medium, human hair, is often emphasized as a key element in her work. Critics note how this medium demands attention and presence from the audience, with subtle changes in airflow potentially altering the viewer's perception of the piece. Yoon's distinctive ability to blend asceticism and aesthetics is highlighted, creating works that draw viewers into deep contemplation.

Selected fellowships and grants

Selected artist residencies

Selected exhibitions

Yoon's work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows at museums, galleries, and art institutions across the United States and internationally.

Solo exhibitions

Group exhibitions

Collections

External links

Notes and References

  1. Moore . Alex C. . 2013-03-13 . "Sometimes Still, Sometimes Full of Tears: A Studio Visit with Jayoung Yoon, or a Strange Eulogy for William Francis". . The Paris Review.
  2. Web site: 2016-07-03 . Jayoung Yoon at Theo Ganz Studio – The Current . 2024-09-21 . en-US.
  3. Web site: Whitman . Arthur . 2019-11-21 . "Intricate Universe": Trio of artists present a journey of post-minimalism . 2024-09-21 . Ithaca Times . en.
  4. Web site: Art celebrates Asian-American History Month . 2024-09-21 . Poughkeepsie Journal . en-US.
  5. Web site: 2019-01-08 . Ethereal Hair Sculptures . 2024-09-21 . Infringe . en-GB.
  6. Web site: 2018-10-11 . "Fire in the Belly" at Burnette Gallery in Woodstock - Hudson Valley One . 2024-09-21 . en-US.
  7. Web site: What to do this Week in the Hudson Valley . 2024-09-21 . Chronogram Magazine . en.
  8. Web site: 2017-12-12 . 'Queens Envisioning Habitats': Korean-American artists exhibit collaborative art . 2024-09-21 . Blasting News . en.
  9. Web site: Honorary Reporters . 2024-09-21 . honoraryreporters.korea.net.
  10. Web site: It's Getting Hairy . 2024-09-21 . Raandoom . en-US.
  11. Web site: Meier . Allison . 2016-05-04 . New Portal Art Fair Fails to Make the Most of a Lower Manhattan Landmark . 2024-09-21 . Hyperallergic . en-US.
  12. Web site: Ben . Davis . 2016-05-03 . Portal Art Fair Lets in Promising New Voices . 2024-09-21 . Artnet News . en-US.
  13. Web site: Bronx Calling: The Fourth AIM Biennial . 2024-09-21 . The New Yorker . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2018-07-09 . ArtsWestchester Triennial Artists Express Meaning Through Process . 2024-09-21 . White Plains, NY Patch . en.
  15. Hall . Kathryn . 2017-11-03 . "Future Fabrication: Innovation in the information age" . Surface design Journal . 10.
  16. Web site: Shuster . Robert . 2010-07-20 . Tim Hawkinson's 'One Man Band'; Michael Alan's 'Harmonious Opposites' . 2024-09-21 . The Village Voice . en-US.
  17. Book: Schwartzman, Madeline . See Yourself X: Human Futures Expanded . 2020-02-05 . Black Dog Press Limited . 978-1910433225 . London, United Kingdom. . 28–29.
  18. Web site: Schwartzman . Madeline . 2016-11-14 . Pioneering new standards of beauty . 2024-09-21 . CNN . en.
  19. News: Lee . A. C. . 2013-12-12 . "Art on Staten Island" . The New York Times.
  20. Web site: Marston-Reid . Linda . Artists explore big ideas in small works in 'Far & Wide' at Woodstock museum . 2024-09-21 . Poughkeepsie Journal . en-US.
  21. Web site: Sarah . Cascone . 2017-09-01 . The Island of Emerging Art: Governors Island Nourishes Rising Talents With Its Latest Art Fair . 2024-09-21 . Artnet News . en-US.
  22. Web site: 2023-08-22 . Announcing the 2023 Joan Mitchell Fellows . 2024-09-21 . Joan Mitchell Foundation . en.
  23. Web site: The 2020 AHL Artist Fellowship Recipients Exhibition . 2024-09-21 . AHL Foundation . en-US.
  24. Web site: Selvin . Claire . 2018-08-29 . MacDowell Colony Awards Fellowships to 87 Artists . 2024-09-21 . ARTnews.com . en-US.
  25. Web site: Kapplow . Heather . 2018-07-27 . Perceiving in Detail: Jayoung Yoon . 2024-09-21 . Women's Studio Workshop . en-US.
  26. BRIC Media Artist Fellowship 2014 . 2014-11-06 . 2024-09-21 . YouTube.
  27. Web site: List of Fund Winners 1985-2021 . 2024-09-21 . Franklin Furnace . en-US.
  28. Web site: Alumni 2010-2020 . 2024-09-21 . Millay Arts . en-US.
  29. Web site: Jayoung Yoon - MacDowell Fellow in Visual Arts . 2024-09-21 . MacDowell . en.
  30. Web site: Jayoung Yoon (2017) . 2024-09-21 . Saltonstall . en-US.
  31. Web site: A Sense of Place . 2024-09-21 . I-Park Foundation . en-US.
  32. Web site: Jayoung Yoon . 2024-09-21 . SCULPTURE SPACE . en-US.
  33. Web site: Eliano . Liza . 2010-07-07 . Rewind to Summer 2009! . 2024-09-21 . Art F City . en-US.
  34. Web site: Perceiving Emptiness' Exhibit Features Artwork with Human Hair . 2024-09-21 . www.hacc.edu . en.
  35. Web site: Past Exhibitions 2019 . 2024-09-21 . San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles . en-US.
  36. Web site: Don't Touch My Hair . 2024-09-21 . Hannah Traore Gallery . en-US.
  37. Web site: 2021-09-30 . Interlacement: A Group Exhibition . 2024-09-21 . The Korea Society . en-gb.
  38. Web site: The Day After . 2024-09-21 . Culture House . en-US.
  39. Web site: 2020-06-12 . Hair: Textures of Belonging – Studio 3 Gallery . 2024-09-21 . en-US.
  40. Web site: Shutan . Suzan . 2019-09-08 . Materialized . UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center.
  41. Web site: FI 2019 Exhibition – FiberArts Guild of Pittsburgh . 2024-09-21 . fiberartspgh.org.
  42. Web site: Hand / Eye . 2024-09-21 . form & concept gallery . en.
  43. Web site: Sutures . September 8 – October 16, 2018 . 2024-09-21 . Marc Straus . en.
  44. Web site: 2018-08-16 . Multilayered: New Prints 2018/Summer . 2024-09-21 . Print Center New York . en-US.
  45. Web site: 2018-03-14 . ArtsWestchester 2018 Triennial . 2024-09-21 . artswestchester.org . en-US.
  46. Web site: CICA Experimental Film and Video Exhibition Summer/Fall 2016: CICA 실험 영화 및 비디오 국제전 – 2016 여름/가을 – CICA . 2024-09-21 . en-US.
  47. Web site: Threaded . July 5–29, 2016 . 2024-09-21 . School of Visual Arts . en.
  48. Book: The 11th Busan International Video Art Festival . 2014-12-12 . 16.
  49. Web site: 2013-08-19 . East & West: Asian Influences on Contemporary American Craft . 2024-09-21 . Ohio Designer Craftsmen . en-US.
  50. Web site: Sacred Vision, Separate Views : Contemporary Buddhist Art - A Tibet House US Exhibition . 2024-09-21 . Tibet House US . en-US.
  51. Web site: 씨 . 스페이스 . Past Exhibitions - space*c . 2024-09-21 . spacec.co.kr . ko.
  52. Web site: Staker . Brian . Garfo Art Center: Containment . 2024-09-21 . Salt Lake City Weekly . en.
  53. Web site: Melissa . Hayes . 2010-02-16 . Hair inspires exhibit at Jersey City Museum . 2024-09-21 . nj . en.
  54. Web site: Collections . 2024-09-21 . www.wofford.edu . en.
  55. Web site: 21 September 2024 . Kimmel Permanent Collection . KHN Center for the Arts.

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