Emily Jounghee Won
Photography has the power to transcend the ordinary, revealing humor, warmth, and depth in the everyday. My work is a fusion of sculpture and photography, creating an intriguing visual language where wire drawings interact with real-world settings. These figures exist in a space between reality and imagination—playful yet thought-provoking, tangible yet ephemeral. Through this combination, I aim to bring a sense of surrealismand curiosity to contemporary photography. What happens when a drawing decides to escape the page? My wire figures areaccidental tourists in the real world, wandering into unexpected places—peeringthrough car windows, hovering above streets, or caught in the rain on a windshield. They don’t quite belong, yet they insist on staying, adding a moment of humor and wonder to ordinary spaces. Their presence challenges perception, making the mundane feel like a scene from a dream or a forgotten sketch brought to life.
This collection captures the subtle poetry of everyday life, illuminating the moments where humor and humanity intersect within the mundane. I am drawn to the quirks, struggles, and quiet triumphs that define our shared experiences—those fleeting gestures, candid expressions, and unspoken narratives that often go unnoticed. Each wire figure becomes a character in its own unfolding story, blending into urban landscapes, reflections, and natural textures, making the world its stage.These subjects are not idealized figures; they are ordinary individuals engaged infamiliar activities, yet within their ordinariness lies a unique beauty and universalrelatability. They invite the viewer to pause, to smile, and to reflect on the hidden charm of everyday existence. Through these images, I seek to distill the essence of human connection—our joys, absurdities, and vulnerabilities—while exploring the resilience and fragility of the human spirit.
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Emily Jounghee Won’ Bio
Emily Jounghee Won is a multi-faceted artist whose work spans photography, painting, and three-dimensional forms. She holds a BFA in Applied Painting from Seoul National University of Science and Technology and an MFA from Gachon University in Korea, bringing a rich artistic heritage to her practice. Since moving to the United States in 2015, she has continued to expand her artistic horizons, including a semester of master's study in photography at California State University, Fresno. Her artistic journey has led her to explore diverse mediums, culminating in her current focus on intricate wire sculptures. These works, often marked by a sense of whimsy and humor, capture the essence of human experience in the ordinary. Won's eighth solo exhibition showcases her unique approach to this medium, highlighting her ability to translate line and form into engaging narratives.
Beyond her studio practice, Won is a dedicated educator, currently instructing art at the college level. Her commitment to fostering creativity and cultural understanding extends back to her time as President of the Art of Jounghee Won Academy and Gymschule in Korea. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, among others, including The Women in Photography Award II at the 42nd National Juried Photography Exhibition, the Special Award at the Korea Youth Art Festival in Incheon, Korea (1997), and prizes at the Korean Lifestyle Art Contest. Won's commitment to her craft and her ability to connect with audiences through her art make her a compelling figure in the contemporary art scene. She continues to explore the possibilities of wire as a medium, pushing its boundaries and engaging audiences with her unique vision.