WHEN + WHERE
Opening Reception: Wed. October 9, 5 - 7pm
 
Exhibition on view: October 10 - 23, 2024
On view gallery hours: Mon - Thurs, 9am - 6pm; Friday 9am - 5pm
 

Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery, Watt Hall
 
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Mother of Pearl explores the maternal relationship between a mother's womb and child using the metaphor of a pearl and oyster. Like the oyster, which transforms an intrusive grain of sand into a delicate pearl, motherhood is a complex nurturing process. Yet, in Katie Jung’s works, the mother figure is seen consuming or decoratively using the pearl instead of protecting it. Shaped by a void of emptiness and absence, Jung reflects on the emotional distance between her and her mother.

Through this exhibition, Jung attempts to explore the longing for her mother’s physical presence and the nuances of their bond. Jung's background from South Korea is also featured in her series of works. Cultural and material elements such as Korea's tradition of mothers preparing seaweed soup on their child’s birthday are woven into the works’ narrative. Through this exhibition, Jung seeks to understand the delicate balance between distance and care, and how the unseen efforts of a mother can shape us, even from afar.