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ODD-KIN presents an exhibition of work spanning over 20 years by Providence-based artist Jungil Hong (b.1976). This exhibition represents different eras and approaches to labor, offering a glimpse into Hong’s evolving identity as an immigrant, a mother, a daughter, a partner, and an artist. In the time between the oldest and newest works in this exhibition, Hong has questioned various aspects of her identity, drawing inspiration from her personal experiences and the ongoing influence of her mother.
This introspection is evident in the materials she uses, the disciplines she culls from, and the visible scale shifts throughout her bodies of work. Hong’s narrative work in screen printing is anchored in the earliest piece in the show, Between San Souci and the Setting Sun, made in 2007. This mural-like screen print collage consists of 22 jigsaw panels, depicting a meticulously detailed post-apocalyptic landscape inhabited by mythical hybrid creatures navigating highly patterned terrain. Through vibrant psychedelic imagery and intricate storytelling, Hong delves into her Korean American identity, pushing the boundaries of her labor and exploring the complexities of her experience.
Similarly, Hong’s later intricately designed jacquards, which drape, slink, and zigzag across the gallery floor, maintain a clear connection to patternmaking, textile, and intricate time-based processes. Hong has revisited her woven jacquards over time, methodically removing threads to create new entry points and patterns, transforming them into an ongoing project that evolves in presentation and physical design. This meticulous process of deconstruction and reconstruction mirrors Hong’s own journey of time-based practices and reinvention, inviting viewers to contemplate the passage of time in relation to materiality.
The exhibition also features Hong’s most recent photographic series, which continues her exploration of familiar material processes seen in her textiles and screen printed collages. These portraits of the artist have been distressed, cut up, collaged, and reconfigured, capturing Hong in a glitched moment that simultaneously looks forward and backward, embodying a transition into something new altogether. The distorted and fragmented nature of the portraits speaks to the passage of time and its transformative effects on one’s sense of self.
Through these images, Hong invites viewers to consider the many ways in which our identities are not only affected by time but also how identity is always malleable and ever-to-be-fully complete. The Time Being is a culmination of works that carry personal weight, serving as a love letter to Hong’s past and future selves. It marks a significant moment after a pause, emerging from a period of deep introspection and questioning. Through this exhibition, Hong revisits her work, identifying the common thread that unites seemingly disparate elements.
Ultimately, The Time Being invites viewers to embark on a journey of self-discovery alongside the artist, exploring themes of identity, labor, and the passage of time. Jungil Hong (b. Seoul, Korea) is a Providence-based artist and the designer/founder of the textile and art studio Namu Future. Hong received her BFA in Ceramics (1999) and her MFA in Textiles (2015) from the Rhode Island School of Art and Design. Hong’s work has been exhibited at the Newport Art Museum, RI; RISD Museum, RI; deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, MA; MASS MoCA, MA; Space 1026, PA; and the Cheongju Craft Museum, Korea, among
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