June 17, 2024
Nature's Palette: Mooa Kang in conversation with Jiwon Geum
Self-awareness and altering its relationship with the surrounding environment is often the key to surviving in the animal kingdom. For example, animals embody ‘aposematic coloration,’ a conspicuous change of color into flamboyant colors to signal their toxicity or distastefulness to predators. In other cases, animals ‘camouflage’ with their surroundings, becoming one with the landscape thereby avoiding detection. Whether through hiding or explicit showoff, animals mask their fragility to enable their survival.
Defined in the ways in which one positions oneself in relation to their surroundings, these seemingly contrasting and mutually exclusive survival tactics act as the crux for understanding the work of artist, exhibition designer, and furniture maker Mooa Kang. Mooa intricately blends influences from nature, survival strategies as an Asian woman, and insights informed by Korean painting and spatial design into her work, using disguise, abstraction, and transformation as strategies to navigate her multidisciplinary practice. Ultimately, she imbues everyday life with vibrant colors, hoping to "enrich the world with a little more color and joy."
This conversation was conducted over Zoom, Kakaotalk messages, and Google Doc exchanges in April and May 2024.
Image of Mooa Kang in her studio. Photo credit: Mark Ramdarass
Jiwon Geum: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Mooa Kang: I am a multidisciplinary artist exploring the fluidity of identity through the lenses of nature, color, and the body. I work with mediums ranging from drawing to sculpture, objects, furniture, and textiles. Furthermore, the way I select mediums often departs from traditions of Korean painting.
JG: To break down your key themes (1) Nature, (2) Color, and (3) the Body, what do they mean in your work, how are they related, and how are they separate from each other?
MK: To me, nature's cyclical flow embodies the journey of existence, from birth to death, as well as the strategies organisms develop to survive within their ecosystems. The bodily thematic delves into the complexities of human identity within societal frameworks. Color is a vital link, bridging nature and the human body.
I am interested in observing how humans adapt to their sociocultural contexts and the ways in which they reshape their identities. By drawing parallels with the survival tactics observed in nature, I aim to provoke contemplation of our societal dynamics.
I also visually weave the organic forms commonly found in nature with the human body, raising questions about how human beings survive within the surrounding environment.
Ultimately, I want to redefine the identity of physical presence in today’s society.
Photo credit: Mark Ramdarass
JG: Where do you find influence with the organic forms and vibrant color?
MK: I draw inspiration from the forms and colors abundant in nature. The beauty of nature often resides in its fluid, curvilinear shapes over straight linear lines.
I'm fascinated by how organisms use coloration as a survival tactic in the animal kingdom. Some species employ ‘cryptic coloration,’ or camouflage, turning into a similar color to their surroundings to blend in seamlessly, concealing their location, identity, and movements. Others display warning coloration, using bold hues and distinctive patterns to signal their toxicity rather than hiding—conversely, making them even more conspicuous as a means of protection. Especially this latter tactic—an ironic one—serves as a rich source of inspiration for me.
Mooa mixing Bunchae (분채) with gelatin adhesives (아교)
Photo credit: Mark Ramdarass
JG: Your practice takes an interdisciplinary approach to the self and its surroundings, drawing inspiration mainly from your studies in traditional Korean painting and the philosophies attached to it. What aspects of your studies inform your current practice, and how do you incorporate them into your process?
MK: My work starts at the tip of my brush pen, a portable tool that allows one to create East Asian brush techniques conveniently regardless of location or situation. In East Asian painting aesthetics, brush strokes hold great significance because they embody spirit, energy, and emotion. Depending on the direction, thickness, speed, and pressure, a single brush stroke can express an infinite variation of techniques.
I draw intuitively as if dancing, capturing what I've witnessed, what my body experienced, or what my mind imagined within my sketchbook. Then, I infuse color into the fluid lines I created by employing Bunchae (분채)—mineral powdered pigments commonly used in Chaesaekhwa1. Unlike Western mediums such as oil or acrylic paints, which cover up the underlying layers, Bunchae, permeates the base layer, allowing the color to blend harmoniously and create depth. Taking these lessons from Korean painting as a cornerstone, I take an interdisciplinary approach translating them into my visual language. For example, the brush stroke transforms into the outline of a three-dimensional work or the drawing becomes a unit of a pattern.
1Translating to "color painting" or "colored painting,” Chae-saek-hwa (채색화) refers to a style of traditional East Asian painting that utilizes color, as opposed to monochromatic ink painting. This style often incorporates traditional East Asian painting techniques, such as brushwork and composition.
Mooa at her studio. Photo credit: Mark Ramdarass
JG: Are there specific reasons behind your preference for brightly colored Bunchae (분채, mineral pigments)? From my experience studying modern art history in the Korean context, ink paintings (수묵화, soo-mook-hwa) held far more significance in the Korean painting tradition than color paintings (채색화, chae-saek-hwa). I’m curious about the reasons behind this dedication, especially considering that you source all of them from Korea as well.
MK: This is tied to a much larger debate related to the colonial history of Korea, that could go on for days and nights of discussion. I’ll unpack just a little bit for context. Following Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonization in 1945, there was a historical movement to emphasize ink painting as the traditional mode of Korean painting, rather than color painting. This perception was largely a response to the liberation of Korea from Japanese rule, insofar color painting was seen as a byproduct, and a sign, of Japanese influence. Furthermore, due to the rise of Dansaekhwa as early as the 1970s, Korean aesthetic identity has become more prominently associated with ink painting. However, there have been many forms of Korean traditional art in which primary colors and other vibrant colors are highlighted, such as “Dancheong (단청),” a traditional Korean decorative painting method applied to wooden structures, “Minhwa (민화),” a traditional Korean folk art genre from the Chosun era, and traditional Buddhist paintings.
Despite a painting style being regarded more preferable in a specific historical moment, I don't think it should persist to affect our perception of a national style. In this sense, I feel a sense of vocation to maintain the tradition of using Bunchae and to promote or advocate for the beauty of Korean color.
Valley, 2017, oriental powder pigment on wood,11 3/4 x 7 ½ x ⅖ in (30 x 19 x 1 cm)
JG: You first incorporated found wood into your practice in 2017 with Valley, with which you applied Bunchae on a flat, found wooden panel, following the natural grains in the material. You further delved into incorporating wood and developed an ongoing body of work titled ‘Weaving Color,’ in which you create hangable wall works as well as functional objects such as shelves, tables, and chairs.
How did you first come to work with abandoned wood, and how does the idea of repair tie into it? Was there a contrasting impetus to it compared with Korean painting? Also, how did you first come to make furniture?
MK: Working with wood came naturally. One day, I found a piece of wood lying near a garbage dumpster by the woodshop. I found myself identifying with that abandoned piece of wood, and then, it was speaking to me, "Here I am, color me."
The ‘Weaving Color’ series started by collecting scraps of wood abandoned from places like that woodshop on campus, construction sites, or streets. As I applied color along the natural grain of the wood, I discovered the possibility of repair. It felt so rewarding to see the reclaimed wood gaining new life, revitalized as a sort of color-field abstraction painting. It made me so happy. From then on, I cut wood pieces according to my brush pen drawings transferred digitally using Adobe Illustrator and CNC, recreating them into two or three-dimensional works.
I prefer not to confine my work to furniture; rather, it can be ‘furni-sculpture,’ ‘sculpainting,’ or functional objects. Essentially, they are hangable sculptures occupying the borders of two or more categories. I prefer to leave the interpretation open to the user’s discretion.
JG: In 2021, you began studying Interior Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). What prompted this transition?
MK: I believe creating an immersive atmosphere is also a part of artists’ work. What makes the difference between seeing reproductions of artworks in virtual spaces and viewing artworks in physical spaces? Why is experiencing artwork in the physical environment important in an era where we can consume images so easily on social media?
Continuing to probe into these inquiries, I co-founded an interdisciplinary art group called Dotavi, where I served as both an artist and an exhibition designer alongside three other immensely talented individuals. Within our group, each member took on different roles, as media artist, choreographer, dancer, and curator as needed. Together, we embarked on experimental projects exploring participatory and interactive exhibitions, merging elements of AR technology, performance, and exhibition design.
This experience prompted me to delve further into the world of exhibition design and apply to the master’s program in Interior Architecture at RISD, where they have a program focusing on Exhibition and Narrative Environments. My thesis, “Unfolding Embodied Experience: A Process-driven Immersive Exhibition Design Model,” explored how to create a more multisensorial and engaging exhibition. I proposed this could be done by analyzing the artist’s creative process and incorporating it into an exhibition design methodology. I believe an immersive experience can happen only when you can digest the artist’s creative journey as if you were inside the artist's brain. I wanted to create an exhibition design framework that could be applied and helpful to other artists.
The source drawing from 2015, Song of Drunken Nights, color on paper, 28.5 X 39.5 cm/ MooA MooD, Mooa’s solo exhibition held at Gallery Teum in Seoul in 2017 (left to right)
JG: In your artist’s statement, you discuss how you “make a self-defense mechanism against the objectification of Asian female bodies by integrating color and decorative patterns into bodily figures” in relation to self-defense mechanisms found among other species. Could you talk more about how influences shape your self-defense methodologies within your practice?
MK: My first solo exhibition, MooA MooD, held at Gallery Café Teum in Seoul in 2017, would best explain this concept. I presented a body of work titled "Camouflage Pattern," a series I had been developing since 2016. The series involves digitally replicating my drawings of female nudes into decorative patterns, which are then transferred onto wearable scarves. It also garnered a press in a magazine called Woman Sense, which I was very grateful for.
I began to explore my identity and self-defense methodologies in depth during my graduate studies at RISD from 2020-2022, which coincided with the Asian hate crimes that occurred in conjunction with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As I relocated from Seoul to Providence, I felt a newfound, acute, awareness of my identity as an Asian woman, and that my relationship to my identity was shifting based on the environment.
Having to wear a mask was frustrating, however, at the same time, it also provided a sense of safety, allowing me to conceal my gender, skin color, and ethnicity within it. This experience led me to explore the dual tactics of revealing and concealing in visual language, of how covering up could be both defensive and empowering. I thought it was similar to the survival tactics of organisms that employ visual disruption to confuse their predators, causing them to misidentify their targets.
Reflecting on species that disguise their appearance, I sometimes imagine if I were a frog in the ecological pyramid, I would rather show off my presence by using warning colors (aposematism) rather than become a wallflower.
I see bodies as a dynamic space where personal identity intersects with sociocultural stereotypes. I aim to subvert attention away from societal norms surrounding bodies while simultaneously empowering individuals to embrace their unique identities without conflict, danger, or censorship.
JG: The title of your portfolio, ‘Mooa Catalog,’ struck me as particularly significant. To me, a ‘catalog’ is more reserved for mass-produced objects explicitly made for sale. This felt like a conscious choice reflecting your perspective on the ever-fluid boundaries between art, craft, and commodity, and positioning your practice at the intersection of these realms.
MK: I used the term "catalog" to suggest a thoughtful exhibition guidebook that is more inclusive and accessible to a broader audience. On the other hand, "portfolio" sounded like something intended for internal review, catering to an exclusive community in art.
Questioning the age-old distinction between commercial and fine art, I aimed to break through the barriers of art, craft, and commodity, creating work that resides in the subtle intersection of these realms. My work is completed through people’s daily interactions by hand, not just by being viewed at a distance. Moreover, I hope the value of artwork is gained by the user’s unique way of interacting with it rather than from its resale values.
I aspire to create a utopia in everyday life, enriching the world with a little more color and joy.
JG: What are you currently working on, and what’s next for you?
MK: I am preparing for my solo exhibition in Seattle, slated for June. There has been a lot going on since I moved to the US. I am excited to share how the changes I embodied manifest through the lens of colors in my practice. I'm also thinking of effective ways to show the process of my drawings evolving into prototypes that result in ‘furni-sculptures.’
Table of Thoughts, Mooa’s upcoming solo exhibition at AtelierLuer Showroom, Seattle, Washington
Poster design: Yuli Choi
Mooa
Mooa holds an MDes in Interior Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design as well as an MFA and a BFA in Korean Painting, both from Ewha Womans University. Mooa’s selected group exhibitions include: Body Expansion, Ewha Art Center, Seoul (2019); So Please Listen and Just Hear Me, Horim Art Center, Seoul (2019), and Plantasia Home Lab, Yuan Ru Gallery, Bellevue (2023). Her work has been featured in DESIGNxRI, SBS News, and Woman Sense Magazine, among others. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the RISD Nature Lab, the National Library of Korea, and Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital.
www.mooa.io, @mooamood
Jiwon Geum
Jiwon Geum (b. 1992, Seoul) is an independent curator, writer, and researcher based in New York. She holds an MA in Curatorial Studies from Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies, where she curated Right to Mother (2023). During her time at CCS Bard, she was a Curatorial Fellow at The Drawing Center (2022) and contributed to developing the show Xiyadie: Queer Cut Utopias (2023). Previously, she contributed to exhibitions at YveYANG Gallery (2023-24), ARKO Art Center (2020), and the Total Museum of Contemporary Art (2019) in Seoul, South Korea. She earned her bachelor's in Painting and Art History at Ewha Womans University and is currently co-directing a curatorial group called Stealing fictions with Yoojin Jang and Junyoung Lee.
@ji.__.geum
Mooa: Moon Garden Scarf
Inquire: ironvelvet.art@gmail.com
