We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyoung eun Kang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyoung eun, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As an artist, taking risks has always played an important role in my life and my practice. One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was studying and living abroad, away from my family in Korea. I was eager to experience different cultures and explore broader art scenes, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and decided to live in New York City. Living in a different culture as an immigrant gave me an opportunity to re-examine my roots, family relationships, separation and bonding. Ultimately, living abroad opened up my perspective on identity, culture, geography and politics; my experience has expanded my empathy toward people from different cultures and places, and what universal behaviors—such as affection and attachment—connect us all. Inevitably, I reflected on these themes in my art: I expanded my practice beyond painting to include live performance, video and multi-media installation, which was another new risk-taking venture. I had never done performance before, which also pushed me outside my comfort zone, but its intimacy appealed to me, and it felt like the best medium to explore these questions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

In Korea, I received a BFA and MFA focused on painting. One of my last painting series before moving to the United States was called “Exuviation,”abstract works which explored the idea that identity is not a fixed idea, but fluid and flexible; It sometimes seems necessary to morph, to shed skin, in order to grow and change, to continuously transform, expand and blend. Rather than paint with brushes on an easel, I put the works on the floor and moved around the canvases, pouring lithography ink onto the oil paintings. I enjoyed the process of making these works—my interaction with the canvases, the interaction of the media on the surface, the passage of time as they dried. Looking back, this work foreshadowed my transition to performance; after working in painting for seven years, I realized I wanted to expand my practice beyond the limited field of the picture plane. Since moving to New York City as a Korean immigrant, I am continuously trying to overcome my cultural displacement: my work naturally moved toward both a physical and mental practice that tests my ability to “fit in” and find balance in a new environment. In my performance-based video work “Partners”, dressed in red, I approach strangers in Union Square Park at a very close distance in an effort to force an intimate partnership. Without speaking, I mimic the gestures and postures of these strangers, who are mostly male and ethnic. In another video work “Islands,” I slowly walk upon the stones which my mother sent me from Korea, using my four limbs and balance on the small rocks on a crowded pedestrian walkway. In works like “Partners” and “Islands,” I examine and traverse invisible personal boundaries in human relationships to create intimate connections with people, piercing the barrier of anonymity. I pay attention to the small, everyday gestures of human interaction that can have a great deal of meaning. In observing the subtlety of human nature and behavior, I seek to capture the bonds and attachments that connect us to strangers, couples, families, communities, and even the dead. The work I am most excited about right now is my solo show currently on view at Collar Works in Troy, New York called TRACES: 28 Days in Elizabeth Murray’s Studio. The work derives from my time in the Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program, in which I had the opportunity of staying at and working in the artist’s farmhouse in Washington County, New York. I had the privilege to work in Murray’s private studio, and developed an intimate performance piece in that space. I was deeply touched by holding the objects that were once held by Murray, brushing my hand gently over the walls and walking on the floor barefoot. Moved and inspired by the space, the history of the accumulated paint strokes on the walls, and the power of Murray’s creative energy in the air, I sought to build an intimate relationship with the studio, hoping that in doing so I might forge a spiritual connection with the 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 a series of actions and movements repeated over the course of a given day. I set up my camera in a fixed position in the middle of the studio and recorded my daily practice for 28 days. By turns contemplative, devotional, playful, and transformative, the performance responds to the site of the acclaimed painter’s workplace and explores studio practice as a daily ritual. If you happen to visit Troy, please check out my show! If you cannot make it to the show visit virtual tour on Collar Works’ website, http://collarworks.org.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The great thing about visiting New York City is that you can experience a wide variety of art and culture. You can visit major museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, or the Guggenheim museum. If you want to explore some other art institutes, I recommend The Jewish Museum, Sculpture Center, New Museum and MOMA PS1 where you can see well-curated, cutting-edge art shows. Walking is the best way to explore the city. You can encounter art in unexpected places, like amazing graffiti and street art, and also find some interesting stores and restaurants. I love to visit Brooklyn Bridge Park, Battery Park, and Governors Island to view public art and also have a picnic with friends and family looking at the Hudson river. I also recommend visiting the High Line, a park built on the historic elevated rail line in Chelsea. You can walk through gardens, view outdoor art and enjoy a unique view of the city. New York’s diverse cultures and neighborhoods also means diverse cuisine, and I love to explore different food in different neighborhoods. After taking in some street art in Bushwick, I’ll have a slice of pizza with friends at Roberta’s. I love to buy kosher bread from a Hasidic Jewish bakery shop in South Williamsburg. One of my favorite Indian grocery stores is Kalustyan’s in the neighborhood of Murray Hill, whose large Indian presence has earned it the nickname “Curry Hill.” At Kalustyan’s, you can find any kind of spices, teas and sweet treats. When I’m in the mood for some good Korean food, I visit Koreatown and get a fermented soybean soup with Korean BBQ. If I crave a Ukrainian dish, I go to Veselka, one of the last original Eastern European spots left in the East Village. Their homemade Borsht and pierogi dumplings are my favorite. I also enjoy visiting Flushing Street Chinese market in Queens to buy fresh persimmons and to have a lamb noodle soup in this tiny corner of an underground market mall.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have many people to thank: my family in Korea has been a tremendous supporter and anchor for me. My mother especially has been an important collaborator in my art practice and also an emotional support when I need courage. Since I moved to New York, my mother has been sending me care packages from Korea and these have been the basis for my ongoing performance series “Care Package,” in which I explore the bonds that connect us to people we care about. Another person I would “shoutout” to is the video artist and sculptor Carol Saft, my mentor, friend and “American mother.” She is an empowering artist: she always energizes and nurtures me through her positivity and generosity. I also would like to thank my artist friends who support and believe in my art practice, especially the 2020-2021 A.I.R. fellowship community and staff in New York for encouraging me through on-going virtual meetings and workshops during the pandemic. Finally, thanks to Collar Works and the Elizabeth Murray Estate for supporting me to realize my solo exhibition now on view at Collar Works in Troy, New York.

Website: http://kyoungeunkang.com
Instagram: @kyoungeunkang_studio

Image Credits
Kyoung eun Kang

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