Jiha Moon: Nocturnal

The second solo exhibition of Jiha Moon who has continued to marry her South Korean identity with her current status as a resident of the United States. Bold, colorful, and tongue in cheek, Moon draws upon cultural references- both American and Asian, in order to create works that are uniquely her own story.
Straddling the line between two and three dimensional works, Moon has created new pieces that explore the intersection of both in her “Shrine” series. Moon states:

“Nocturnal presents my new bodies of work in which I explore the hybridity of ceramic objects combined with paintings. In the new “Shrine” series, I juxtapose paintings and ceramic objects together in a box setting. In the plate painting series, I play with objecthood inspired by identities of food (dumpling, banana peel, peach) and cultures in three-dimensional forms, where two-dimensional painting and drawing language coexist. I have found a rugged and rich beauty working with a darker clay body, this enables me to create starry night scenes. I draw and paint using underglaze and layer with glazes in both high and low fire for my ceramic work. Similarly, when I paint on dark brown Hanji paper, I try to contrast the darkness of the paper with electrifying yellows, bright oranges and jade greens, sothey appear as if neon lights are glowing at night. Night is the protected time when creatures can be unleashed and feel free. As an Asian American woman, I think about how my new nocturnal landscape can be a metaphor for a soulful place to dream, as well as an opportunity for the invisible to become visible.”