Department of Art History

Self? Self! is a self-exploration by three emerging Asian women artists in the DoVA (Department of Visual Arts) program. These artists navigate the complexities of the “self” through their interactions with different identities and institutions, spanning the intimate sphere of family and the broader context of culture and history. Together their work seeks to understand the distance between the self and others while also striving to bridge the gap between the two. Drawing on a wide range of influences, from personal histories to collective ones, the three artists engage in an active process of interrogation, introspection, and transformation, constructing and reconstructing their sense of self. In bringing together their works, this exhibition aims to invite the viewers to reflect on their own identities and foster a sense of interconnectivity within this diverse world through self-exploration. 

Curator
Self? Self! is curated by Chloe Zhong, AB’24.

Artists
Alice Ding:
When I was young, I had a series of illustration books by Jimmy Liao. In those books, all the invented characters have their unique settings and characteristics, and they only exist in each short story. One of them is a little girl who always carries a capturing net that is way taller than her, and her mission is to use the net to capture the evanescent beauty in life. I remembered vaguely but deeply that despite her daily attempts, she couldn't capture what she wished to capture.

alice-ding.com
@a.d.foreal

Betty Young Kim:
Betty Young Kim’s work addresses the often-overlooked labor of motherhood, challenges the feminine mystique, and reveals the historical injustices inflicted upon her Korean lineage.

Rooted in photography, Kim uses self-portraiture to add a subtle layer of seen images that are typically unseen, filling in the gaps of photos and videos in government-sanctioned archives, pop culture, and fiction and non-fiction sources. Kim also explores the inclusion of fiber arts in the dialogue of the past and present between cultures.

www.bettykimphoto.com
www.instagram.com/bettykimphoto

Feifei Wang:
我很尴尬，我会让别人觉得我很尴尬，我会让别人更尴尬。尴尬女王。一讲艺术就犯困

magicfeifei.com
@magicfeifei

Accessibility
CWAC Exhibitions is committed to accessibility for all our exhibitions. However, the second floor of the Cochrane-Woods Art Center is accessible only by stairs. To request an accommodation or alternative format, please email visualresources@uchicago.edu.

Support
This exhibition is supported by a generous gift from Brenda Shapiro. Installation support and preparation provided by Chloe Zhong, Alice Ding, Betty Young Kim, Feifei Wang, Théodora Dillman, Owen Hoffer, and University of Chicago Facilities Services.