ARTIST STATEMENT
My art practice critically examines power dynamics and Western norms through the lens of my given identity as an Asian American woman. Working primarily between paintings and collaborative projects, I explore themes of displacement, belonging, and evolving societal values. My work challenges the perception of freedom by embracing non-linear storytelling and interdisciplinary approaches to interrogate the process of objectification and its impact on individuals and society. Building upon past series like Pulse (2019), which critiques the objectification of the female body, and my involvement in co-founding the WEDAPEPO collective (2020), I continue to explore the decolonization of constructed ideas in our contemporary world. In an ongoing series such as Objects (2023), I depict images of items categorized as traditional Korean objects from online mega markets like eBay and Amazon, highlighting the commodification of culture through a tourist’s lens. My latest series, Vitruvian Woman (2024), challenges viewers to reconsider pictorial space by juxtaposing my body as a unit of measurement within the canvas. Through these oil paintings, I question the concept of freedom in relation to the social and physical boundaries that my body occupies in space. Reflecting on my experiences of im/migration, I investigate how I have internalized and grappled with societal norms over time. In today’s digital age, the powers behind these norms extend their reach through the internet, shaping perceptions and interactions with the world. Through my practice, I make these underlying dynamics visible, inviting viewers to engage with the layers of meaning that lie beneath the surface.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jusun Jessie Seo (b. 1995) was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in the Bay Area of California. Seo examines power dynamics and Western norms through the lens of ‘given identity’ as an Asian American woman. She works primarily between paintings and collaborative projects. Her recent series, Vitruvian Woman (2024), uses her body size to make the canvas size, challenging audiences with the idea of norms. Seo received an MFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts (2024) and a BFA in painting and printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute (2020). In 2020, she co-founded the collective WEDAPEPO in Oakland, CA. Her work has recently been exhibited at the Theirry Goldberg Gallery in New York, Moosey Gallery in London, and Root Division Gallery in San Francisco.
© Jusun Jessie Seo