Naked State art residency is interesting for so many reasons I cannot articulate as one cohesive statement. Here is a string of word/phrase-reasons instead: past disordered eating, self-esteem, construction of imperfection, sexualization, comfort, identity, genuine, puberty, periods, hair, safety, barriers, vulnerability. I am particularly interested in exploring periods. As someone who uses a menstrual cup, I am interested in how a bodily function like menstruating is dealt within a naturist community. Is there still the same kind of stigma with starting menstruation? What is the philosophy of members in dealing with periods? Free flowing? Tampons? Cups? This specific function of the body generalizes into other bodily phenomena, as well as natural as a whole, in which processes don’t occur in clear discrete steps.
The work I plan to create relates to my recent work. I am interested in intimacy. I’m obsessed with exploring authenticity and connection, ideally creating work that subverts expectations. Function is also an integral component of my work. I largely work with clay and function is often inevitably in conversation with the craft. I’ve combined these ideas into “hug me mugs” that ask the viewer to approach the objects in a specific way. I’ve also made a series of bowls that serve as functional objects, as well as stack into sculptural pieces. I am also very interested in materials of nostalgia and youth, particularly the transition into adulthood. This is of personal interest but is also very fitting in the context of our increasingly openminded world in which the decreasing relevance of traditional markers of adulthood is both freeing and terrifying.
My name is Unu. 24 5/6 years old. I am self-reflective. I love this because I’m always reassessing and growing. I hate this because it means nothing is ever perfect. I’m Korean but was born in New York and grew up in Hong Kong, before getting my bachelor’s degree in Los Angeles. Because of this background, I embrace blurriness and the ability to empathize easily. I like perfectly worded sentences, earplugs, forearms, hugs from the sun, someone saying my name for the first time.