Artist Talk & Mural Creation with Julia Chon (February 28)
NEW DATE! Due to weather, this event originally scheduled for February 20 has been moved to February 28!
The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) is thrilled to welcome beloved mural artist Julia Sunah Chon, better known as Kimchi Juice, back for a special Artist Talk about her new KCCDC site-specific mural celebrating Korean culture, identity, and the Lunar New Year! Visitors are welcome to stop by to witness Chon’s creativity in action through February 28, and then join Chon to celebrate and discuss the work’s completion on Friday, February 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the KCCDC.
Chon’s new outdoor mural incorporates natural elements reflecting the KCCDC bamboo garden, traditional Korean games, and a sense of community, all in a fun and engaging visual. The gate leading to the KCCDC’s iconic bamboo stand will also transform into an entryway guarded by a Korean folk art-style tiger. As Chon transitions her art from paper to large-scale murals, these intimate portraits take center stage in a dynamic urban environment.
In her public works and individual art pieces, Chon often explores the relationship between cultural tradition and its effects on generational identity, informing the decisions Asian Americans make to form their identities. Through artwork that prominently conveys Korean aesthetics, Chon merges her ancestry and traditions with the contemporary to narrate the nuances of the Korean diaspora.
The Artist Talk on February 28 at the KCCDC will navigate the story behind Chon’s design and her intentions in combining various Korean icons into a single mural composition. An RSVP is recommended to attend. Visitors can also come in advance to observe the live mural creation through February 28 during regular visitor hours (Monday – Friday, 10 AM – noon and 1 – 5 PM).
Julia Chon is a Korean-American artist and muralist primarily active in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Co. who has participated in DC Walls, the Washington extension of World Wide Walls, the largest outdoor mural festival in the United States. Her murals can be found internationally, and her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New York City. Chon’s past clients and collaborative partners include NASA, Apple, the Phillips Collection, and the Smithsonian Institution, which acquired one of her works into its permanent art collection in 2022. She recently completed a 2024 artist residency with the Nicholson Project.
Learn more about Julia’s work at www.juliachon.com or @kimchi.juice on Instagram.
Artist Talk & Mural Creation with Julia Chon
Friday, February 28, 5-7 PM
Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.
Free with an RSVP!
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