Gangnam Mutation Museum

Author Eun-yu Q. Please introduce yourself.

I am Eunyu, an artist who portrays human emotions and desires. I enjoy exploring the essence of things, and I believe that ‘emotions’ and ‘desires’ are the honest and immediate reactions of the self that each individual possesses. I also thought that awareness of the self and emotions would increase even more in an era overflowing with AI technology. To express the unique characteristics of emotion as a material, I am presenting a series of works resembling hieroglyphs that utilize primitive and primary colors.

Q. What motivated you to choose the ‘profession’ of being an artist?

I have loved drawing since I was young, so I just kept drawing. It felt like a way to fully create my own world, and I think I was more comfortable expressing myself through art than through words. I chose fashion design as my major and worked in design, but unable to quench my thirst any longer, I eventually came full circle and chose the path of an artist to draw the pictures I love most.

Artist Eun Yoo places great importance on exploring the human psyche. Her works delicately portray human emotions, desires, and anguish, allowing viewers to experience the complex inner world of humanity. Last year, she completed projects including a media wall for the Ziolpark performance stage, a media exhibition at Lavan in New York, artwork for VIP gifts for the Moon Party at Gana Art and K11, as well as her first solo exhibition [EUN YOO: Bacgstage] and numerous group exhibitions. This year, she collaborated with the sneaker brand Seven Eight Under, held a K-Media Art exhibition in Hanoi Smart City, Vietnam, and was consecutively selected for the NFT NYC Artist Village in New York for both last year and this year. Now, we meet artist Eun Yoo, who has just concluded her second solo exhibition, [Gangnam Mutation Museum].

Q. What served as the motif for your representative work, *How a Mutant Crosses the World*, and where did you draw your inspiration from?

Everyone possesses unique qualities that set them apart from others. However, society often dismisses these as flaws and tries to suppress them. Consequently, many people are unable to express their true colors and instead try to hide them, leading them to lose sight of what they genuinely love. That was certainly the case for me. I was treated like a mutant wherever I went, but I poured all of that into my paintings, sublimated it, and revealed it in my work without hiding it. To depict the things such a mutant needs to navigate the world, I created a series of three 100-size canvases titled "The Tree of Patience," "The Star of Possibility," and "The Moon of Certainty." These are my most recently completed new works, created with the hope that many people will find what they truly love, realize it, and find happiness.

Q. What do you consider to be the distinctive characteristics of your work?

It is simple and intuitive. I like the saying, "Just because something is easy to imitate and monotonous does not mean it is not great art." I want to communicate with people through works that are accessible yet leave a lasting impression and encourage contemplation. Since I frequently use intuitive pictograms and symbols, I also tend to receive consistent collaboration proposals from commercial brands.

Q. Among the various episodes included in the work, which is the most memorable?

Since my work is themed around emotions, these pieces inevitably reflect my entire life like a mirror. However, because everyone harbors emotions, viewers tend to interpret and contemplate the paintings by reflecting their own lives. That is why I tend not to give specific answers when people ask me about the meanings behind the detailed elements of my work. I hope you consider your own thoughts and feelings to be the answer, and I believe that is what communication through art is all about.

Q. What message do you want to convey to the audience through the works to be exhibited at the next exhibition?

For my most recent exhibition, I conducted a month-long live painting project wearing a sailor outfit and a bird mask—a motif frequently seen in my paintings—while dancing to a DJ's music. I wanted to offer a new experience through the visual spectacle itself. For my next exhibition, I plan to try another fun and new approach.

Q. I am curious about what new challenges you would like to take on in the future, as well as your exhibition plans or long-term activities.

My goal is to go to Tokyo and New York to spread and color my artistic world. I want to move to places with broader and more global art markets to make myself known as an artist, interact with more people, and fulfill the benevolent role of an artist. Furthermore, I want to cross over various genres rather than being limited to painting, and have fun playing with people. I expect to showcase one aspect of this at the exhibition in Seoul currently being discussed for mid-December.

@eunyoo_p_