Biography
Seonghee Ha is a Ph.D. student specializing in East Asian art, with a focus on courtesans who were active in the art world of early modern East Asia. She is particularly interested in how these courtesans influenced and re-invented the concept of “love” in the visual arts. Her passion lies in examining the subtle ways in which female agency has been constructed and operated throughout East Asian art history. She received her BA in Aesthetics and MA in Art History from Seoul National University. Her MA thesis explored an early nineteenth-century Joseon screen depicting Chinese female figures and its possible connection to Kim Uncho, a renowned Korean courtesan (gisaeng).