NYAB Event - Eun Kyung Bae

Eun Kyung Bae

Kips Gallery

This event has ended.

My work is about my reaction to force. I am interested not only in physical force, but also the force I feel everyday. How are polar or seemingly contrary forces interconnected and interdependent in the natural world? What happens when two opposite energies press against each other? With these questions in mind, I address the duality in situations wherein two opposite ideas or feelings exist at the same time, such as tension and balance. This is the most dominant aspect of my work.

Since I moved to America, I have struggled with the gap between my Korean culture and American culture. I was born and grew up in Korea and moved to New York to study art at age twenty. It is hard for me to adjust to this new culture and simultaneously remain Korean. My consistent desire is to have a greater balance between my old cultural habits and my new experiences in America. This juggling in my life has naturally become the central theme in my art. Additionally, I feel vulnerable and am not always in control. Consequently, I am sympathetic to those who have no power, such as children, minorities and the poor, and those who work behind the scenes and live in the shadow of the world. These sentiments have become important aspects of my work.

Fragility is one of the aspects shown consistently in my work. I grew up in a warm and happy family. My family has always supported me and cares so much for me. Nevertheless, the love and care of my family has not always affected me positively. While growing up, my parents and my older brother have overprotected me. I felt safe and warm within my family but on the other hand, stifled and frustrated because they wanted to know everything about me and always helped me to make every decision. Even now, making decisions is hard for me. As a result, my vulnerability and indecisiveness naturally became a part of my work.
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I am very sensitive even to a small force because of my vulnerability. However, vulnerability became a crucial energy for my work. Through my work, I would like to share my weakness, and if I can, this will perhaps reassure the viewers and make his or her clouds go away