Artist: Yeonsu Ju

AN EXPLORATION OF HOW TO REACH OUT:

Artist Yeonsu Ju explores themes of longing, memory, and ritual through the simple yet powerful act of gathering at a table. Inspired by the Korean Gijesa ritual, where food offerings honor ancestors, Ju’s paintings reflect her personal journey with loss and remembrance, starting from when she couldn’t attend her grandmother’s funeral due to time and distance. Here, the table becomes more than a setting—it’s a symbolic meeting place for memory and connection.

‘Within my paintings emotion is edible.’

Ju’s work brings this sense of ritual to life through the traditional Korean Obangsaek color spectrum, rooted in the Chinese Wu Xing philosophy. The five colors—white (West), black (North), blue (East), yellow (Center), and red (South)—are foundational in Korean art, often seen in textiles, shamanistic practices, and Buddhist temples. She combines these hues with Ogansaek, blended middle tones, to echo the balance and depth of memory in her work.

‘For me, painting consists of two main aspects:
1) a ritual of mourning embodied in the act itself, and 2) a way to share an intense longing—to merge with my lover(s)—through figures and theatrical scenes.’

As a child, Ju’s family visits to temples surrounded by these colors taught her about making and honoring wishes—a practice she now brings to her art.

Each painting is both a meal and a moment of shared space, where Ju represents herself in multiple forms, connecting with the memories of those she’s loved. Painting, for Ju, becomes an act of hosting, as she shares these emotions with her audience, inviting viewers to reflect on their own connections and moments of absence.

(Text by HG)

Born in 1995, Yeonsu Ju is a Korean artist working between Seoul and London. With a background in Sociology at Chung-Ang University and Fine Art studies in Glasgow and London (Slade), her work has shown across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Recently exhibited at the Asia Society in Paris, Ju is preparing solo shows in London and Singapore. She’s also a finalist for the K11 Artist Prize 2024 and has won the Cass Art Prize, marking her as an exciting voice in contemporary art.