ECUAD Student Publication

Taking it’s name from the mischievous primate companion of Emily Carr, WOO is an experimental magazine which aims to showcase student artwork, criticism and creativity. Throughout ever-evolving manifestations, WOO has remained committed to creating publications which promote curiosity and reflect the temperature of the student body. The WOO team facilitates connections with established artists, curators, and alumni with the intention of engaging and contributing to the surrounding arts community. Submissions are accepted 3 times a year for printed editions, and we encourage feedback and written submissions for blog content throughout the year.

jun baek

interview by ella white / photographs by sammy vu

What does your practice look like?

In general, I am an interdisciplinary artist. I do everything. I do painting, sculpting, installation, digital, and I make music. I have a strength in performance art. Performance is really rare and I would say there’s no clear direction as a contemporary performer, and that is why I think that people don’t choose that particular path. But what matters to me the most is concept, and how you express your idea. I don’t believe that there is a limit of medium or expression so that’s why I’m trying to be interdisciplinary and to not categorize as a particular artist.

When did you start realising you had a particular interest in Visual Arts?

Art, for me, is all about me, but at the same time it’s all about others. I use myself as a representation to demonstrate ideas, similar to how actors act to deliver stories for the viewers. I’m using me as a representation of the people. So it’s not being narcissistic, it’s that I represent you. The concept that I’m focussing on is what is in front of me. The recent issue with covid, since we’re in art school, I came up with the idea of this emerging artist poster, because we share these similar feelings and a similar connection to each other. I try to keep it as personal and vulnerable as possible so that people can approach me.

What do you hope viewers get out of your work?

I create my work based on my ideas, and once it’s out in the world, it's free and it’s out of my hands. It really depends on the viewer and I just leave the viewer to interpret it and understand it.

What’s the most unusual thing about your art?

Unusual thing? Everything! Because I care about concept, my art shifts so much. With every project I’m doing, I set my mind as being a different person. I don’t want to stick with being just a painter. I could be a painter, but at the same time, for my next project I may be a sculptor. And for the following project I may be a performer. Or I could be a performer and a painter at the same time. So I just open my possibilities.

How much research/prep-work is involved in your art?

I would say a lot. Although I make personal artwork, I would say research really does matter because at the end of the day you are expressing something. If you don’t reference it, the idea is just ignorant and meaningless in a way. How would you express a concept without knowing the concept? Research is the key. But it also depends on the project, if its specifically about a place, for example, you need to research even more. Whereas personal work can be interpreted in a personal context.

Since starting art school, have you developed any interests in art that you didn’t expect?

Well, I didn’t expect that I would perform at all. I didn’t expect to do any of the things that I’m doing right now. Recently what I’m doing is the combining of genre. Painting and sculpture. Digital and performance. My goal is to generate another form of art that can be new. I didn’t expect that I could be this ambitious. I had no clue about art school and honestly I didn’t expect much. I thought that I would just be a painter or drawing artist, the things that people traditionally think of as artists. You never know.

Does the word ‘Tender’ tie in your practice as an artist or designer?

Absolutely. Because I am tender, I wish I could be more tender.

What would you associate the word ‘Tender’ with?

Tender. I am tender, I am very tender I’ll say. If I think about the word tender, the imagery that comes to mind is smooth, fluid, and very open. As you know about me, I am very interdisciplinary and open, so tender is me; I am tender.

faces of emily carr - artist spotlight