10 Questions with SuJung Jo

SuJung Jo is a Brooklyn-based artist. She received her MFA in photography from Pratt Institute in 2022 and BFA in graphic design from Rhode Island School of Design in 2017. She works with photography, wood working, and sculpture to visualize her perspective on fragility. She presented her work in Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center in 2022. She was one of the seven finalists for the Clio Award for Contemporary Art in 2022 and jury for the CIDA 7th Annual Very Special Art Festival.

sujungjo.com | @sujungjo

ARTIST STATEMENT

SuJung Jo is a Brooklyn-based artist who works with photography, woodworking, and sculpture. Her personal experiences have profoundly influenced her art practice, leading her to explore the themes of vulnerability and fragility inherent in humans. Through her artistic endeavors, She aims to visually represent the fragility she perceives, making it tangible to confront it.

Simultaneously, Jo's instinct to withhold her weakness manifests in her works as shielded, veiled, fragmented, and distorted images, which she achieved through stitching and sculpting. Jo's current artistic focus revolves around exploring the illusion of three-dimensionality using layered organza, which enables a topographical perspective on fragility. Jo's work embodies both acceptance and resistance to her own vulnerability, creating an amalgamation of emotions.

Jo's strategy in using the organza to veil the images is not just a psychological strategy but also an innovative growth in her approach to photography. She has found new and fresher ways to communicate through her art, particularly by stretching the boundaries of the two-dimensional form of photography and integrating with the three-dimensional possibilities of sculpture. Jo is constantly exploring the limits of her mediums to create new possibilities and push the boundaries of traditional mediums.

INTERVIEW

Let's talk about yourself first. Why are you an artist, and how did you become one?

I have always been interested in photography since high school, but I made a realistic decision to major in Graphic Design because it is more popular in the job market. After graduating from RISD, I worked as a Graphic Designer at branding agencies in NYC for a year. However, since agencies primarily cater to client needs and requests, I began to feel exhausted and a sense of emptiness. I yearned to express my own story in my own way. Though I was unsure of what I meant exactly, I decided to enroll in graduate school for photography to explore and discover my path. That was the moment I embarked on my journey as an artist.

How did you develop into the artist you are today? What training or experience helped you in the process?

Although I majored in Graphic Design for my undergraduate degree and pursued Photography in graduate school, my current body of work combines the two-dimensional form of photography with the three-dimensional possibilities of sculpture. I achieve this by utilizing traditional photography mediums alongside fabrics, which serve as an experimental medium.
At RISD, the first year is referred to as the Foundation year. Regardless of one's major, during this year, students are encouraged to explore various mediums and experience diverse disciplines through drawing, painting, and 3D classes, which broaden their perspectives. Through this training, I learned how to express my ideas through different mediums, and I believe these experiences became the unconscious foundation for integrating two different artistic mediums.

Your work is highly influenced by your personal experiences, such as those related to your health. How do you translate these experiences into art pieces?

I often perceive myself as a vulnerable and fragile individual, and I wanted my artworks to reflect those qualities. I carefully chose materials that convey a sense of delicacy. My intention was for viewers to immediately and instinctively feel the delicacy and vulnerability embodied in my works. Moreover, I wanted these qualities of vulnerability and fragility to be perceived as beautiful rather than negative.
I soon realized that achieving this goal would be challenging using traditional photography alone. Traditional photography typically involves printing on right and square paper, which evoked feelings that contradicted vulnerability.

You work with different mediums and techniques, from photography to sculpture, and with vastly different materials, such as wood or organza. How do you keep your body of work cohesive?

My priority lies in the individual works themselves rather than the overall flow or cohesion between them. When I create a piece, my entire focus is dedicated to that particular work. However, it is interesting to observe that my works often organically align with one another, possibly because they explore similar subject matters. I believe that the cohesiveness between my works arises naturally from being true to myself and my thoughts as an artist.

A key concept in your work is that of fragility. Do you use these concepts to link different work and create cohesiveness when working with so many other mediums?

Yes indeed. I strive to explore the concept of fragility from as many perspectives as possible by utilizing diverse materials such as wood, painting, sculpture, photography, and more. Fragility is often viewed as a weakness, but it can also serve as a source of strength. It is possible to be consumed by one's weaknesses, but if one can harness them from a different perspective, that very mechanism can become a source of motivation for personal growth and development.
Every aspect of this world can be seen from various perspectives, and each perspective yields different outcomes. Therefore, I aspire to translate the idea of fragility into a different perspective by employing diverse mediums, materials, and techniques. By doing so, I aim to explore the multifaceted nature of fragility and its transformative potential.

And what other themes do you pursue with your work?

Family is a theme that I aspire to explore someday. As I mentioned earlier, our greatest strengths can often become our greatest weaknesses, and the same holds true of families. I have been collecting old photos of my family, preserving letters, and capturing new moments in an effort to delve deeper into this theme. Although I am uncertain about the exact approach to take, the desire to explore the concept of family has always resided in my heart.

Let's talk about your organza works. You use different layers of this fabric to create a mix between two-dimensional photography and three-dimensional sculptures. How did you come up with this concept?

When I was a graduate student at Pratt, the structure of a fine art studio space was an open environment where we could naturally observe each other's works. s As I walked through the aisles of the studio, I noticed my fell student working with delicate and airy fabrics. Intrigues, I inquired about the work, and she shared that she had printed a photo on polyester at the school's print shop. This sparked my curiosity, leading me to explore various types of fabric for printing-around 15 to 20 different kinds, to be exact-through Pratt print shop.
When I saw my images printed on organza, something clicked instinctively within me. The organza imbued the photographs with a sense of vulnerability, airiness, and lightness. However, one drawback was that the level of detail in the photo was diminished. To address this, I began layering organza printed together. As organza is an extremely lightweight fabric, traditional adhesives or bonding methods did not work effectively. Consequently, I turned to stitching the layers together; that is how I found myself on this artistic journey.

Do you plan to experiment with any new medium or technique? And if so, in which direction would you like your work to develop?

As of right now, I am going to focus on organza and wood. These materials have had too many types and techniques to explore. So, for now, I am going to focus on utilizing and understanding these materials.
As of now, my focus is directed towards exploring and working with organza and wood. These materials offer a wide range of types and techniques to delve into. Therefore, my current goal is to concentrate on utilizing and deepening my understanding of these materials. By immersing myself in the possibilities they offer, I aim to further develop my artistic practice and push the boundaries of what can be achieved with organza and wood.

On that note, what are you working on right now? Do you have any new projects or series you are currently developing?

As I mentioned earlier, I am currently dedicating my attention to deepening my understanding of the materials I work with organza and wood, uncovering their unique qualities. Alongside that, I am also committed to delving deeper into exploring diverse perspectives on vulnerability. By submerging myself in the qualities and possibilities of organza and wood, as well as contemplating vulnerability from various angles, I want to gain a more nuanced understanding of these essential elements of my works.

And lastly, where do you see yourself and your work five years from now?

I recall my time in the Foundation year at RISD, which was about nine years ago when I had a strong appreciation for paintings and drawing. Looking ahead, I envision that within the next five years, I will be able to integrate and utilize these mediums in my artistic works and ideas. As I continue to grow and develop as an artist, I aspire to expand my creative repertoire and incorporate painting and drawing into my practice. This time frame allows me the opportunity to further refine my skills and explore how these mediums can complement and enhance the themes and concepts I wish to convey in my artworks.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.