ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is centered on exploring daily emotions. I believe that experiencing emotions is a profound affirmation of our existence. We, modern individuals, including myself, are becoming numb in a world that is continuously changing and quickly fading, causing our emotions to wither. Focusing on emotions prompts me to reflect on our memories and sensations, making me truly feel alive. In 2021, I initiated a project called ‘Emotion Documentation I’, which aims to understand emotions. This daily log captures details such as the feelings experienced, their times of occurrence, and their visually interpreted forms. Stemming from personal reflections and my struggle with depression, the project started as a personal inquiry and has evolved into an understanding of human emotions. It serves as a tool for my personal growth and seeks to awaken modern individuals from their emotional numbness. I believe resisting this numbness involves stepping away from efficiency and embracing stillness. Methodologically, I have contemplated hand-involved meditative practices. Using the meditative and performative act of stitching, along with the diverse textures found in textiles, I integrate complex emotions into my art, creating a tangible connection between the abstract realms of emotions and the material world.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Elizabeth Joo is a Chicago-based artist who explores the depths of emotional experience through her work. Believing that the act of feeling emotions affirms our existence, she began in 2021 to analyze and deconstruct the essence of emotions via emotion documentation. Utilizing the meditative and precise technique of embroidery, Joo translates these insights into abstract sculptures and installations. Her art bridges the complex interplay between the diverse facets of emotions and human existence, offering a visual representation of inner life. She received a BFA in the Department of Ceramics & Fiber Arts from Seoul Women’s University in 2020. In 2023 she received an MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
©Elizabeth Joo