“America Fever” was a photo project conceived back in 2020. I felt a pull to explore the Korean-American immigrant experience through historical research, and combine it with world-building principles inspired by staged narrative photography and filmmaking practices.
Over the course of 3 years, through the
@google Image Equity Fellowship,
@new_wave_art_residency and personal funding, I created a series of works to encapsulate the immigrant journey through 3 acts - Arrival, Striving and Reflection.
After my solo show at
@gobi.losangeles , I was satisfied with the body of work and ready to pursue something else. Then, came the surprise invitation to show America Fever at the annual exhibition
@harpersbazaarkorea in Seoul with
@nikkislee and
@chrisunkim - artists that I respect immensely.
My first Seoul exhibition was a dream. I’ve always felt that America Fever was best viewed in large prints, and seeing a whole floor for my work was a thrill. It moved me to see thousands of viewers connect with the pieces so intimately. Many people commented that they felt a strong emotional throughline in viewing these images. And surprisingly many people lingered to watch my short film Shortcuts too.
So many people to thank. First and foremost,
@smin_kang who saw the potential and decided to bring my work to Korea + curate a great a show. The entire
@harpersbazaarkorea team
@kyovark @parcjaewon @ahnsg_r3r3r @son___anna @_khu_ + more who worked tirelessly. Of course
@j____eom and
@david.j.wynn who supported me from the beginning. And all my collaborators on America Fever, who spent hours with me in strange places all over CA to work on this project. Excited for what’s next ❤️
