Julia Kwon sews interpretative bojagi—Korean object-wrapping cloths historically created since the early Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910)—and wraps hollow human-scale figures with them to comment on the objectification of Asiatic female bodies. She also embeds patterns from contemporary sociopolitical events to challenge the notion of authenticity and examine the complexities of constructing identities within the context of globalism, cultural hybridity, intersectionality, and the collective struggle for social justice. Her work argues for capacious possibilities for one’s identity and sense of community. She explores community, solidarity, and personal relationship building through various collaborative projects that advocate for a more equitable society for all. Julia Kwon holds an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, and a BA in Studio Art from Georgetown University. Her work is in the permanent collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery (Washington, DC), Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (New York, NY), Museum of International Folk Art (Santa Fe, NM), The New York Public Library (New York, NY), among others. She has also exhibited at venues including the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, American University Museum, Peale Center at Carroll Museums, Hartnett Gallery of the University of Rochester, and Torpedo Factory Art Center. Her work has been featured and reviewed internationally, including in the Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Korea.net, BmoreArt, PBS's WETA Arts, and SBS International News. She was awarded artist residencies at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Chautauqua School of Art, NARS Foundation, Textile Arts Center, Vermont Studio Center, among others. She presented artist lectures at Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of International Folk Art, The Phillips Collection, Parsons School of Design, Lehigh University, University of Rochester, among others. |
