Woo Hannah
b. 1988, South Korea
Woo Hannah (B.1988, Daejeon, Korea) creates fabric sculptures shaped like the body parts and organs of humans and animals. Her series, ‘Abdomen,’ starts with the feelings of lack and loss she experienced when first realizing the ‘absence’ of one of her organs. The sculptures, which borrow the form of the missing organ, act as replacements, supplementing the loss and soothing the ache of desire. The sensation of longing and possessiveness causes Woo to immerse herself in what she cannot have and expands the understanding and acceptance of those different from her. She focuses not on what she does or does not have, but just on the fact that these differences exist. Through her following series, ‘Bag with you,’ the artist's work evolves into the fantasy of a being that can surpass the limits of their current body and identity by attaching and carrying body parts such as gills, air bladders, and tails—things that humans do not have. Through the act of borrowing non-human organs, the artist seeks to create an equal, horizontal relationship with other beings, breaking away from the dichotomous boundaries that distinguish humans from all others and transcending the current finite body and fixed ideas surrounding the human body.
2016
MFA VISUAL ART, Korea National University of Arts, Seoul, Korea
2014
Work Master(Exchange 1 year), Geneva University of Art and Design, Geneva, Switzerland
2012
BFA Visual Art, Korea National University of Arts, Seoul, Korea