Radish Legs, 2017. Handmade ceramic sculptures, 10“ x 15” x 5”.
KYOUNG EUN KANG
Artist Statement
I observe and focus on the small, simple everyday gestures and rituals that carry a great deal of meaning; I capture subtle human interactions and behaviors to better understand human nature and the bonds between us—bonds that bridge time and space to connect couples, families, communities, strangers and even the dead. I work in a wide range of media, including live performance, video, painting, photography, installation, text and sound pieces.
Since moving to New York City as a Korean immigrant, I am continuously trying to overcome my sense of cultural displacement—to find balance and assimilate into my new environment. This has led me to new collaborative and performative processes, in which I cultivate interactions with my community: in some cases, I initiate transitory happenings with strangers, such as the Mexican flower sellers in my neighborhood; in a more personal and sustained project, I spent several months with an elderly couple in Nebraska, developing an interpersonal relationship and trust with them through the exchange of our daily rituals; yet other artworks examine the more intimate connections I have with my family in Korea. By creating an open exchange of interests, curiosity and empathy at the micro- and macro-level of my communities, I traverse invisible personal boundaries in human relationships and generate bonding moments.
In my recent work, I explore how we forge and maintain interpersonal relationships with the deceased, which inevitably manifests in spiritual connection. During my time at the Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program in 2019, I made a video of a durational performance called TRACES: 28 Days in Elizabeth Murray’s Studio. Moved and inspired by the space and the power of Murray’s creative energy in the air, I sought to build an intimate relationship with the studio itself, hoping that in doing so I might connect with the deceased artist who worked in it for so many years. Using my body as a medium through which to revive her studio space, I gradually developed and recorded a series of actions and movements repeated as a daily ritual.
Through my work, I combine my Korean cultural heritage with my current North-American context, exploring geographical and cultural identity and universal human themes such as affection and attachment. Ultimately, I hope to raise questions about how we build and maintain human connections alive, and how we create bonds with people and places within an ever-changing world.
Recent Press