I was born and raised in Korea. Since I was young, I have liked to draw, so I entered an art high school and decided to become a designer. Later I entered Ewha Womans University to study and began to think about my role as a female designer. In the middle, I took a break from university, studied in England for half a year, studied in the Netherlands, and came across the design and ideas of the wider world. After graduating, I built a design career by working in small studios, agencies, and a large company. However, I was disappointed that the design I did in there did not contain my thoughts, so I came to the Royal College of Art to expand my world and to add my voice to my design.
Joo Yeoun Yoo
The feminist words in the 70s called The Personal is the political by Carol Hanisch that I saw while preparing for the exhibition in college shocked me. I never thought I would find a social problem with an individual, but after seeing the phrase, I came to think about what problems I had and how I would convey these problems to a society based on my experiences.
From the language I use as a habit to my daily routine, I realized that the problem of discrimination was traditionally followed and inherited. I ask people who see my work to break away from it. "Is this normal? Is this right? Is this the best we can inherit?" I want people to see, touch, and experience my work and communicate directly and indirectly. I hope a little question arises in my mind after seeing my message.
Rather than a propaganda approach of injecting ideas into someone, I would like to ask more powerful and enduring questions, showing satire, humour, and reversal. If you believe that the discrimination problem has disappeared, why do I still have to experience those problems, and whether you feel the same way?
Bride to Be
This project, 'Bride To Be', criticizes and satirizes misogyny hidden in the marriage custom in Korea. In the tradition that was inherited like a habit, we can find the surviving patriarchy.
Although many cultures attempt to change, the 'handover' culture still exists, clearly showing women's objectification in the wedding ceremony. Sam-jong-ji-do in the Eastern or Handover in Western culture represents women living a life subordinate to someone, rather than an independent life. In the wedding aisle, the bride is 'passed' from her father's hand to the groom's hand. She then begins a new life from someone's daughter to someone's wife.
My work explores this situation. Play with this toy capsule machine and manipulate the brides yourself. With helplessly falling bridal capsules and non-refundable receipts, you can see how much women are objectified at weddings.
How do you live in London?
'How do you live in London' is a book about Korean women living in England. It is essential to hear stories about their lives in the different country from where they were born. Because a small voice, like a butterfly effect, sometimes makes a big difference. We can think of a turning point in Korean society when they are happy here in the UK. And in the way they struggle here, we can also find a contradiction that we need to rethink socially. And I hope that the voice will spread and one day everyone will be able to raise their awareness, 'Should we rethink this?'
So, how do you live in London?
그래서 당신은 런던에서 어떻게 살고 있나요?