Daewoon Kim
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Artist Statement
Pink, I like
“Mom, I like pink”
I was too young to understand why my mom insisted I wear blue clothes. “ If you continue to play with dolls and wear pink your penis is going to fall off !”
As a young man, I liked pink and wanted to play with dolls, but instead, I was compelled to wear blue clothes and play with robots to fit social norms expected of the typical Korean man. When I first learned about drag culture my world was flipped upside down. Drag presented an alternative view of gender. On stage, the drag queen assumes a persona to perform the opposite gender. I think drag is a creative way of expressing one’s self. Drag, to me, is the ultimate form of self-expression and a way of expressing identity as a sexual minority. For me, drag is a new perspective on artistry and an interesting departure from the society that tries to write it off.
My work explores modern drag culture, as a formative language for sculpture. Starting with reproducing their hyperbolic fashion aesthetic, anatomical alterations, and their feminine gestures into collages in which abstract forms and reenactments of movement coexist. Currently, I’m experimenting with how I can express gender socialization. I am playing with and deconstructing socially defined codes of masculinity and femininity. I represent femininity by building curves and flowers dressed in flamboyant decorative patterns, and masculinity by using straight lines and rough textures. I'm very interested in the heterogeneity of masculinity and femininity. In addition, through a contrast of color, the social structure of gender is also expressed. This process creates a single sculpture in which two aspects exist. Allowing me to play with heterogeneous forms and spaces in an attempt to produce a sculpture that exists in the non-binary.
![Abstract sculpture consisting of gestural shapes with red, yellow, and green splatter.](_images/dan-kim_1-660x788.jpg)
Man Up // 35” x 25” x 52” // ceramic, painting, glaze, enamel painting // 2019
![Abstract sculpture consisting of leaf and sharp vine like shapes twisted together.](_images/dan-kim_2-660x404.jpg)
The Garden of Eden // 42” x 29” x 32” // ceramic, wood, painting, glaze, cement, epoxy // 2019
![An abstract sculpture balanced on top of two rocks and a mirror.](_images/dan-kim_3-660x615.jpg)
Cover Girl // 15” x 18” x 29” // ceramic, string, rope, rock, mirror, fabric, glaze, glue, manicure // 2019
![An abstract sculpture consisting of elements placed upon wooden pedestals and on the surrounding floor, organic shapes and bright colors.](_images/dan-kim_4-660x530.jpg)
Transition // 42” x 39” x 35” // oil painting, ceramic, wood // 2019
![An abstract sculpture of an organic shape and earth tone colors with a white replica hanging above it, flipped to mimic a reflection.](_images/dan-kim_5-660x902.jpg)
Behind The Scene // 42" x 27" x 100" // ceramic painting, glaze, paper mache, string // 2019
![An abstract sculpture with elements placed on a wooden pedestal and on the surrounding floor, featuring long, face-like detailing.](_images/dan-kim_6-660x471.jpg)
BWBB (Boys Will Be Boys) // 37” x 29” x 33” // ceramic, glaze, canvas, charcoal, cement, spray painting, epoxy, wood, newspaper // 2019
![A long, thin sculpture of an abstracted human form propped up by wood, featuring gestural patterning detail in warm colors.](_images/dan-kim_7-660x573.jpg)
Temptation // 48” x 38” x 55” // wood, painting, ceramic, glaze, nail // 2019
![A mixed media sculpture that resembles the lower body of a person as well as hands.](_images/dan-kim_8-660x607.jpg)
Sissy That Walk // 21” x 12” x 40” // ceramic, decal paper, painting, glaze, foam-board, oil painting, oil pastel // 2019
![A mixed media sculpture resembling the upper body of an abstracted person leaning on their hand.](_images/dan-kim_9-660x478.jpg)
Obsession // 24” x 12” x 29” // ceramic, painting, glaze, foam-board, oil pastel , dried clay // 2019
![Abstract sculpture on a black box, consisting of half of two heads balances against each other and other abstract shapes.](_images/dan-kim_10-660x866.jpg)
Vogue // 27” x 16” x 32” // burned wood, ceramic, painting, cement, epoxy // 2019