“My creations represent those who have chosen a life apart from others, as if they are invisible or non-existent beings. Instead of adapting themselves to human society, they enter into their own personal space, avoiding other’s interruptions.”
Jinyoung’s vision, message and technique hit full stride in 2008’s A Family in Disguise. Shown as a solo exhibit at the Union Gallery in London, Jinyoung used the microcosm of a family unit to represent society as a whole, closely examining the myriad of ways in which people hide, using the concept of “home” to parallel a place of escape. The show was as much about concealment as it was revelation.
Jinyoung explains further. “A Family in Disguise starts with a situation where the transparent people, who just want to hide, have no choice but to greet their guests. The figures try to look ordinary, like any other happy family. They decorate, wear gorgeous clothes and stand side by side to greet the guests. At first glance, it seems like a lovely family but you cannot avoid feeling the somber atmosphere. All the conversations and greetings lack sincerity and truthfulness, placing everybody at the party in trouble. It shows the conflicts created by lack of communication in families and in societies.”
My creations represent those who have chosen a life apart from others, as if they are invisible or non-existent beings.
By its very nature, the concept of invisibility opens up a host of contradictions. Someone who is invisible remains unseen by others, the body itself a barrier keeping others at bay. Invisibility also invites varying degrees of freedom and power to the individual, for what wouldn’t you do if anonymity was guaranteed? Yet the pros are also the cons. Those rendered undetectable are left to exist alone, without companionship or solace, without friend or foe. Invisibility is equal parts freedom and trap, ultimately warranting the question, is invisibility a blessing or a curse?
Jinyoung recognizes the paradox and the contradiction, often speaking in character when attempting to describe the inner turmoil of her figures.
“The transparent body means a perfect shield that makes it possible to hide itself anywhere, while the crying face represents a warning: ‘Don’t come towards me!’ My figures defend themselves through their crying faces, making it difficult for others to come any closer. If others do approach and say something to comfort them, they might burst out crying. But it is also true that people cannot just pass them by after seeing their faces. The figures seem to be saying: ‘Come to me, if you’re able to comfort me with all your heart!’ It’s a sign of warning and a refusal to the people who try to help, not having fully understood their situations.”
So how does one make sense of it all? Is it better to shout and carry on or to hide in the corner, feigning weak smiles? Is wearing your heart on your sleeve any better than putting on a mask? As in any intellectual debate about identity, conformity or individualism, it’s hard to make a shatter-proof argument one way or the other. All I know is that when I look at one of Jinyoung Yu’s invisible people, they look familiar to me. I understand. I understand because I know them as myself.
Jinyoung’s work is for the loner in all of us, for those outside of the world; those who find comfort inside their own private sphere yet long to show their true self: a self free of lies and fraudulent affectation. As stunning as the work may be and as dedicated an artist as she is, the true aim of Jinyoung’s invisible people lies in the instinctual pursuit to find and celebrate the sincere individual lurking inside each of us.
When I ask Jinyoung how she expresses her own individuality, the answer is steadfast and pure. “I express my thoughts and my opinions through my work. I feel this is enough. I like being ordinary. No matter where I go or whom I meet, I just want to look ordinary. I want myself to be mingled with other people, being neither too gorgeous nor too shabby. I believe if a person thinks, behaves, and expresses in his or her own way, which is new, his or her life shall be much more diverse with more things to enjoy.”*
Junyoung you was last feature in the Hi-Fructose Collected Edition #3. Support what we do and get a print subscription to Hi-Fructose here.
