Artist Statement
I am a Korean-born, New York-based oil painter. My works, through my characters, explore both my sense of cultural estrangement and the existential absurdity—its anxiety, ambiguity, and lack of purpose. I investigate what it means to be an outsider in both my own and the wider world, and how this alienation sharpens my awareness of life's fundamental meaninglessness. This eerie discomfort is further evoked through a wide array of colors and mysterious narratives. By depicting my overly cute and adorable characters as suffering or being violent, I accentuate the sense of uncanniness, paradoxically intensifying the seriousness of my narratives.
My round-faced, nose-less characters reflect both my sense of displacement and my cultural heritage. Their blank faces and weird eyes echo norms where direct eye contact and overt emotional expression are considered impolite, a contrast to environments where eye contact is expected. I combine this alienation with my admiration for traditional Korean Buddha sculptures with idealized body forms that are believable, yet anatomically incorrect—qualities I aim to capture in my work.
Bio
Yooyeon Nam is a Korean-born, New York-based oil painter. Originally trained in business at Yonsei University and employed in an office setting, she eventually chose to follow her passion for art and relocated to New York. She earned her BFA in Painting from Pratt Institute in 2023, graduating with highest honors.
Nam has had solo exhibitions including "No Home in Wonderland" at A Space Gallery, "Perfect Kidnapping" with ChaShaMa, and "Kidnapped" with Artists Living Room, all in New York City. Her group exhibitions include “Be Right Back” at A Space Gallery, ”Facets of Sight” at Sims Contemporary, and "Flesh Spa" at Caelum, and major fairs such as "The Other Art Fair" by Saatchi, "Artexpo New York" with AGI Fine Art, and "ASYAAF" in Seoul.
Nam was awarded the first grand prize in the Arthouse.Z Art Prize and received first place in "Mythologies," a virtual group exhibition by Goddessart Magazine, which will lead to a scheduled virtual solo show. In 2024, she participated in artist residencies at School of Visual Arts, ChaNorth, and Woodstock Byrdcliffe. She is also scheduled to join the AnkhLave Arts Alliance residency in fall 2025.