Heesoo Kwon
Heesoo Kwon is a visual artist and anthropologist from South Korea currently based in Oakland, California. They received her Master of Fine Arts degree from UC Berkeley in 2019. In 2017, Kwon initiated an autobiographical feminist religion titled “Leymusoom.” They are developing Leymusoom through both a personal and communal practice with the believers. For their personal rituals, they use the digital space as a utopian realm to reframe family history and trauma to build a feminist utopian world. By rendering 3d characters of their matrilineal line, they give their ancestors second lives, which allows them to reclaim a timeless 3D reality outside of the repetitions and routines of their former domestic lives. Through Leymusoom, Kwon is able to abstract conceptions of time, boundaries of appropriate love, sacrifice, trauma, violence, and familial relations.
They have had solo exhibitions at Et Al in San Francisco and CICA Museum and Visual Space Gunmulsai in South Korea. They have participated in group exhibitions at the CICA Museum, the Worth Ryder Art Gallery, UC Berkeley, Root Division, SOMArts, and Embark Gallery among others. In 2012, Kwon received the Female Inventor of the Year Award from the Korean Intellectual Property Office. Other accolades include the Young Korean Artist Award from the CICA Museum and the Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prize for Photos and Art Practice from UC Berkeley.
🄼 Do you have access to your studio during shelter-in-place? If not, how has this affected you?
🄷 I'm working in my bedroom so I have full access to my studio all day.
🄼 What is your favorite activity during this time?
🄷 Making cranberry juice and taking care of my green onions in the garden. I check how much they have grown every day. Or working on current projects while watching old Korean pop videos.
🄼 What do you currently working on?
🄷 Recently I started a new project transforming my bedroom as a heterotopia of Leymusoom. During the shelter in place policy, I am spending most of my time in my bedroom. Imagining my female ancestors living in a digital utopia and working on visualizing them in this small bedroom made me feel this space as a portal consisting of links to different times and spaces. And I started to think of them spending time with me and watching me working on the project next to me.
🄼 Do you have any current podcast, tv, or movie recommendations for artists (or anyone)?
🄷 Kongjui & Patchui(1978), this is a very old Korean animated film. It's really amazing piece so you should check it out! You can watch it for free on youtube.
🄼 What do you think about virtual galleries and museums?
🄷 I am interested in how galleries and museums are working on it in this time period. As my work is building a digital utopian world, it's inspiring for me.
🄼 Do you have any routines that are helping you during this period of isolation and social distancing?
🄷 I call my family in Korea often and try to keep in touch with friends here as well. A lot of video calls.
🄼 Do you have anything coming up that you’d like to share or promote?
🄷 I am going to show a video piece at Minessota Street Project online/offline and the opening date is May 29th. Also, some of my works will be uploaded at /room/ in June. I have upcoming group shows at the Chinese Culture Center, SOMArts, Ctrl+Shft, and a solo show at B4bel4b Gallery. But the specific schedules will be confirmed after COVID.