In multiple shows opening at the Eskenazi School this spring, BFA candidate in Printmaking Suejin Ko will seek to “reclaim Korean culture in a Midwestern environment.”
The graduating senior of Korean heritage born and raised in the Midwest explores cultural and personal identity in her installation for the BFA thesis show opening April 24 at the Grunwald Gallery as well as in two exhibitions on view March 27 at the Tangent Gallery that emerged from international student exchanges.
Ko draws inspiration for her current work from the traditional Korean dress known as the “Hanbok.” The garment is worn during rituals such as one’s first birthday celebration and the observance of Lunar New Year. For her thesis exhibition, "Silhouettes of Belonging," Ko has created prints replicating two such dresses – one incorporating traditional Korean patterns, and the other representing her American heritage through images of Midwestern landscapes.
Together with those motifs, Ko integrates materials and techniques that reinforce the notion of her heterogenous cultural identity. She prints on Korean mulberry paper (called “hanji”) and Japanese kozo paper, which she embroiders with colored silk. The repetitive motions and layering of the printmaking process also allow Ko to meditate on the enmeshed nature of her Korean heritage and her American identity:
“I emphasize that identity is layered and never singular,” Ko notes. “Patterns are overlaid on top of each other, there are loose threads visible, and the replica is to represent me and my own world that I have created.”
At the same time, Ko pursues the investigation of her cultural identity in work currently on view in the student-run Tangent Gallery. The exhibitions “Across the Fold” and “Shared Surfaces” showcase the products of a creative exchange in which Ko and other students and alumni of the IU printmaking program explored the media of book arts and lithography with their peers at the University of the Arts London, University of Brighton, and the University of West of England (Bristol).
Ko participated in the collaborative investigation of the artist’s book. According to its organizers, “Across the Fold,” emphasizes the book as a vessel for ideas, fostering connections across borders, without prescribing the content of individual works.” To create her artist’s book, “Folded,” Ko digitally scanned and printed her Hanbok. The printed version of the garment is folded every time a page is turned, an action Ko compares with the ceremonial folding of the American flag to convey respect and honor.
The Tangent Gallery hosts a reception for the printmaking exhibitions Friday, March 27 from 6-8 pm.
After graduating in May, Ko has accepted a two-week residency at the Art Print Residence in Arenys de Munt, Spain. Located in the Catalonia region of Spain, the residency provides lodging and a fully equipped studio where printmakers can pursue intaglio, woodcut, mokuhanga, letterpress, and other techniques. Ko’s immersion in the printmaking world, she explains, is an unforeseen development:
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot about printmaking through this program, especially because I had no idea what printmaking was before I joined! Getting to learn each printing technique very intimately has been super beneficial to me. The BFA program has been so enjoyable and presented many opportunities for me to grow as an artist.”
