Charged

In Charged, four Asian American women artists entice the viewer with intricately refined craftsmanship charged with sociopolitical and cross-cultural significance. Commenting on mass shootings rooted in US gun culture, living the Korean diaspora experience, the racist legacy of colonialism, and racial injustice against Asians, among other issues, the exhibition demonstrates disciplined art practice through a limited color palette of predominantly red and white. The artists share an affinity for simulacra, extending critical discussion absent the ready-made objects that are their central subjects: guns cast in porcelain, food bowls molded of hanji paper, a replica of a rice bag, and seemingly ordinary wallpaper. These ghostly objects and trompe l’oeil may seduce viewers with their beauty, but upon further examination lead to deeper engagement. The works in this exhibition also have in common references to Asian cultural identity, whether through the artist’s choice of medium or the content expressed, as each artist nods to her native traditions and diasporic life sharing their deep desire to investigate their cultural identities through the experiences of the personal, communal, and historical.

During the opening reception, Sammy Seung-min Lee will invite participants to collaborate with her in creating table settings of traditional Korean tableware.