Join us for Unfolding Koreanness: Exploring Identity in the Age of Migration, a special group exhibition by Georgia-based guest curator Sang Dae Lee, winner of the KCCDC Open Call for Artists, exploring what it means to be Korean through the multidisciplinary practices of six featured artists.

The exhibition kicked off with a public opening reception and talk on Friday, March 14, featuring curator Sang Dae Lee and featured artist Robert J. Fouser in person.

In a world where migration is increasingly shaped by personal choice rather than economic or political forces, questions of identity and belonging have taken on new urgency. People are not only moving across borders but also navigating the complexities of settling into new cultural contexts, further blurring transnational boundaries. Drawing on Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory and Erik Erikson’s perspectives on identity formation, Unfolding Koreanness investigates the ongoing struggles and negotiations inherent in reconciling one’s origins with the realities of a new environment.

The exhibition features six distinct artists from across the United States: Gayageum musician Hwayoung Shon, media artist Inhye Lee, documentary filmmaker Miriam Kim, linguist and photographer Robert J. Fouser, architect Sung Goo Yang, and textile artist Wonju Seo. Each offers a unique interpretation of Koreanness, reflecting on their personal and collective journeys. Key works include an installation utilizing components of the traditional Gayageum zither, textile art reinterpreting traditional Hanbok clothing and Jogakbo patchwork crafts, and a documentary film on belonging and memory.

Through these six individuals’ diverse works, Unfolding Koreanness moves beyond static definitions of identity, instead fostering empathy and shared understanding within the Korean diaspora and beyond. It incorporates personal narratives, collective histories, and cross-cultural dialogues as a multidisciplinary showcase to reimagine what it means to belong in an increasingly fluid and interconnected world.

This exhibition traces the many experiences of Korean immigrants abroad, exploring how memories of migration, cultural clashes, and shifting values shape their identities in a globalized world. It aims to provide deeper cultural insight not only into the expanding Korean diaspora but also into spaces infused with traces of Korean heritage. Join us to uncover and reconnect the evolving tapestry of identity that derives from migration and discover how stories of the Korean immigrant experience can inspire deeper conversations about culture, memory, and our place in a transnational society.