Hyojeong Oh
Based in Seoul and San Francisco
Born: July 16 2002 in South Korea
Education
Academy of Art University BFA(Bachelor of Fine Arts) Photography 2021-2022
California College of the Arts BFA(Bachelor of Fine Arts) Photography 2024~
I was born in Seoul, South Korea, but grew up in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, a city known for its rice fields and mountains exist alongside factories and industrial spaces. Living between these contrasting environments, I became familiar with both the quietness of nature and the movement of people and industry. I was able to observe different kinds of people and the everyday lives shaped by these surroundings. These experiences continue to influence the way I look at ordinary places, people, and the small moments that exist within them.
I began my photographic practice through fashion photography. I was particularly drawn to editorial photography in magazines and enjoyed the collaborative process of working with people. This interest led me to pursue formal studies in photography at college.
As I continued studying fashion imagery, however, I became increasingly aware of the emotional impact and violence that consumerism, trends, and fashion marketing can have on individuals. Although I found the visual language of fashion and the study of trends engaging, I also began to experience a sense of emptiness within this culture. This experience became the starting point of my artistic practice, which has since expanded into an ongoing exploration of how we can protect ourselves and hold on to what is meaningful while continuing to live in a world that can often feel empty and overwhelming.
I mainly photograph ordinary, everyday landscapes. I am interested in how invisible emotions and situations can be expressed through the daily scenes that may seem unremarkable.
My work began with a sense of “emptiness” that I experienced while studying and researching fashion photography. I was attracted to fashion for its beautiful images, constantly changing trends, and its ability to create desire and consumption. At the same time, I experienced the violence and emptiness that consumerism imposes on individuals within this system. I continue to explore ways of expressing these feelings visually.
To express these ideas, I use tools like screentone, scissors, knives, and tape to physically damage, cut, and reassemble film negatives. Through this process of both destroying and reconstructing the image, I leave invisible emotions and situations as physical traces within the photograph.
Recently, the questions that have become most important to me are: “How can we continue to live within a life that continues despite everything?” and “What is it that keeps me going?” After asking these questions, I realized I needed to look again at the things I love. I began to think that what allows us to continue living as human beings may not be invisible emotions and values such as immaturity, playfulness, hope, and love.
I want to continue bringing these invisible values into the two-dimensional medium, such as photography. Through ordinary landscapes and everyday scenes, I want to explore invisible emotions and investigate what we hold onto in order to continue living, even in the midst of emptiness and anxiety.