We Return
This series of mask sculptures is inspired by the collective nature of traditional Korean masks in folk plays. I revisit these masks by crafting them from wood scraps and sawdust left over from products I made for others as a professional woodworker. The characters these masks represent are lower-class laborers who reveal the hypocrisy of the aristocratic class by mocking them. These trickster masks hide and protect the identities of the people behind them while offering space for social criticism. By turning the leftovers of my labor into these masks, I shed light on the beauty, power, and potential of everyday labor, often neglected in a highly capitalized and individualized society.
The sculptures include incense elements that are made of hardwood sawdust, a health hazard to woodworkers. these are burned with the intent of inviting visitors to engage their senses and contemplate the existence—and meaning—of labor in our collective past and in everyday life.

Dambi, 2024 Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 10.25 (H) x 10 (W) x 4.5 (D) inches

Bibi (April), 2024, Hardwood and plywood scraps, 11.50 (H) x 9.25 (W) x 3.75 (D) inches

Bibi (April) detail view

Installation view from Before the Last Spike, a solo exhibition at ArtCenter College of Design.

Installation view from Before the Last Spike, a solo exhibition at ArtCenter College of Design.

Installation view from My Shed Skin Becomes a Mask, a two-person exhibition with Victoria Aravindhan.

Installation view from My Shed Skin Becomes a Mask, a two-person exhibition with Victoria Aravindhan.

Red Monkey, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 10.75 (H) x 9.5 (W) x 3.5 (D) inches

Red Monkey, In this image, the incense element is being lit up, providing viewers with an immersive olfactory experience

Malddukyi, 2024, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 11.75 (H) x 9 (W) x 4.25 (D) inches

Saja (June), 2024, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 11.75 (H) x 8.75 (W) x 3.5 (D) inches

Dambi 2, 2024, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 11.50 (H) x 8.75 (W) x 3.75 (D) inches



Goshi detail view

Apostate Monk 1, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 11 (H) x 8.75 (W) x 3.5 (D) inches

Youngnoh, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 10.5 (H) x 10.5 (W) x 5.5 (D) inches

Youngnoh detail view

Apostate Monk 2, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 11 (H) x 8.5 (W) x 3.25 (D) inches

Bibi, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 15 (H) x 8.5 (W) x 4.5 (D) inches

Hehe, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 11 (H) x 10 (W) x 2.75 (D) inches

Servant, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps, incense made of sawdust, 11 (H) x 8.75 (W) x 3.25 (D) inches

Servant detail view

Four Eyes, 2022, Hardwood and plywood scraps,10.5 (H) x 10 (W) x 3.5 (D) inches
Photos by Coffee Kang