Yiwon Park
Research Abstract
Jindgo story:Korean shamanism and the art of displacement
In this practice-led research project, I examine the experience of feeling culturally adrift within my own hybrid Korean-Australian identity, using the aesthetic and symbolic framework of Korean shamanism and autoethnographic reflection. Core elements of Korean shamanic practices, such as ritual, water, colour and light form primary areas of material investigation in the studio, with particular focus on the symbolic resonances of these elements. Interdisciplinary practices, such animation, installation, projection and performance, are explored for their potential to unpack cultural hybridity. Hybrid animal motifs serve as autobiographical metaphors through which to investigate the psychological complexity of hybrid cultural identity, drawing on notions of shamanic spirit animals. A key motif is the ‘Jindgo’, a personal invention that weaves together narratives of the Korean Jindo dog with those of the Australian dingo. Storytelling, a fundamental aspect of Korean shamanism, also forms a core element in this autoethnographic study, through the use and analysis of interdisciplinary visual narratives.
I record and reflect upon not only the resulting artworks, but also my personal responses and experiences throughout the process. I locate my research within my community of practice, specifically artists who draw on shamanic traditions and references in the creation of their work. In unpacking Korean shamanism as a symbolic framework for contemporary art practice, I hope to offer a deeper understanding of the complexities faced by those with a Korean-Australian hybrid identity specifically, and cultural hybridity more broadly.
Bio
Yiwon Park is a Korean-Australian artist currently based in Melbourne. She obtained her BFA in Korea, and completed a Masters by Research at UNSW Art and Design (2014). She has exhibited in Seoul, Sydney, Hong Kong and Melbourne, including at Art atrium, First Draft, UNSW Galleries, and Tin Shed Gallery. Yiwon has been an artist in residence at Artspace Hue, Korea (2015–2018) and Camac-Centre d'Art Marnay, France (2012). Yiwon is represented by Art atrium, Sydney, and she is a current PhD candidate at RMIT University in Fine Art.