Bezazian Branch hosts an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month art exhibit throughout May featuring five oil paintings from artist Yeon Kyung Cha.
Artist Statement
“My works study myself—my identity as a Korean American and my struggles with social anxiety. Both interject with each other and feed into each other. By painting who I am in conjunction with who I think I am, it’s a process of personal confrontation. The hanbok I wear in many of my paintings is one that was given to me by my family in Korea when I was a child. It is too small for me, but it holds many precious memories and best represents my identity. It is rarely worn, pushed to the back of my closet—except for my works. My face is turned away, part too scared to have my face shown but also rudely distracted by other things more important to my attention. With my works, I hope to reach out to anyone who can identify with me, and hope to mutually connect in our shared experiences.”
