Annette Hur

BIO

Annette Hur was born in South Korea and currently lives and works in Brooklyn. Recent exhibitions include Hesse Flatow, Shin Gallery, Ross + Kramer, Regular Normal, Assembly Room, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, Urban Zen, and Times Square Space in New York; Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey; West Chester University, Pennsylvania; Heaven Gallery, Chicago Artists Coalition, and Boundary in Chicago. Hur was a nominee for Rema Hort Mann Grant(2019), and a resident of Vermont Studio Center(2021) and BOLT Residency at Chicago Artists Coalition(2016–2017). Hur holds a BA from Ewha Women's University (2008), BFA (2015) from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and MFA (2019) from Columbia University.

ARTIST STATEMENT

In recent years, developing my abstract language on large-scale paintings has been an unpredictable ride that has taken me on a deeply personal and introspective journey through the process of image-making.

Operating from a place of inner-directed and hypnagogic state, I seek to translate—as directly and as intuitively as possible— the heart-wrenching physical and emotional experiences held in my body for years on end. The literal frame of my painting becomes a metaphorical space that brings awareness of my–one’s– existential autonomy that derives from womanhood, traumas, grief and hope.

The paintings are deliberately positioned in between abstraction and figuration, dealing with the conflicts of the real lived experience and how my body remembers —processes— it. The resulting images are confrontational yet alluring; and although the entire image is rooted in abstraction, the metaphorical use of insects, animals, and other elements of nature delves into the expressive power of the simplest apparatus of being a living body: vulnerability, fear, love and loss.

Interview with Annette Hur

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in becoming an artist? Who or what were some of your most important early influences?

I was born and raised in South Korea. My artistic pursuits suppressed throughout my young adulthood were reignited as a recovery from domestic violence and depression connected to the patriarchal environment where I grew up in. It took my entire 20s to realize that I had to embrace failure and recognize the courage to start over. I chose art to escape at first but it naturally and gradually became my lifetime commitment. :)

Where are you currently based and what initially brought you there? Are there any aspects of this specific location or community that have inspired your work?

When I moved to New York City for a grad school in 2017 after living in Chicago for 5 years, I was bursting with excitement and expectation as I had dreamed to be an artist in this exhilarating city of art and culture for over a decade. The art scenes and communities I’ve found here are truly inspiring. While there seem to be endless opportunities to meet other artists and art supporters, the greatest benefit I can absorb and resort to as an artist in NYC would be the diversity in the city. I believe a large amount of the autonomy I enjoy in my studio practice comes from the city's respect to the cultural diversity.

Can you describe your studio space? What are some of the most crucial aspects of a studio that make it functional? Do any of these specific aspects directly affect your work?

Since I lost my studio in June 2020, I’ve been working from home. There have been times when I desperately wanted a separate studio outside of the apartment dreaming about high ceilings and an artists community I can encounter on a daily basis. However, financial shortage and unstable income since graduation and during the pandemic had forced me to transform my living room space into a complete painting studio over the past two years and I’ve become used to this form of live/work situation. My dog Leroy seems very happy with it too.:)

What is a typical day like? If you don't have a typical day, what is an ideal day?

The days I don’t have teaching, I usually spend the entire morning catching up with news, housework, reading, emails, cooking for the day, and walking/playing with my dog. I usually start working in the studio around 11am and mostly by cleaning the palette and mixing new colors.

Ideally I would work consistently for 6-8 hours and rest but I tend to work until late night with in between long breaks.:) I would say my ideal day is the day I make a break through on my painting no matter how many/little hours I worked on them.

What gets you in a creative groove or flow? Are snacks involved? ☺

Music, an organized palette with newly mixed colors, and homemade iced latte are the three things I always start my creative mode with. I cook a lot of Korean food which usually put me in a better mood and energy level for anything!

Is there anything that interrupts and stagnates your creative energy?

I had my right(dominant) shoulder injured in July 2021, and since then, my back and shoulder pain has been the biggest enemy in the studio. I have to do proper exercise and stretching almost every couple of hours while working in the studio. Other than physical pain, I would say my dog’s overflowing curiosity and shenanigans initiate pauses in painting all the time.

How do you select materials? How long have you worked with this particular media or method?

I have been committed to using oil paint since 2016. Before that, I was using acrylic paint predominantly as I was painting more graphic abstraction in my undergrad. The reason I made the transition in materials was that my subject matter turned to more personal experiences, and oil paint was the medium I could relate to physically, emotionally, and psychologically all at the same time. For the past few years, I’ve been also working with Korean silk to make collages and works on paper. It was heightened during the Covid lockdown by repurposing the silk dresses I owned without specific goals. I’ve developed a new relationship with silk since then and I am very excited about more silk based projects in the future.

Can you walk us through your overall process? How long has this approach been a part of your practice?

I really enjoy stretching and gessoing new canvases on my own and I still consider that process as the first step of building an intimate relationship with ‘the painting to be’ - the object -. When the surface is ready I apply a couple of thin paint layers for underpainting and the temperature of the image I will create. Then the composition - figure/ground relationship- sits in with simple line drawings to guide the loose narrative and palette. After that, it is mostly intuitive and responsive process of applying colors and composing them. I started working this way since I transitioned from acrylic painting to oil painting I believe.

Can you talk about some of the ongoing interests, imagery, and concepts that have informed your process and body of work over time? How do you anticipate your work progressing in the future?

When I first moved to the U.S., all that was in my head was how to navigate things in a foreign environment. I was in the middle of a personal crisis at that time and everything including making art felt unclear and lost. The more I have spent time as an artist in this country, the clearer my identity and position have become. My imagery reflects that clarity and has gravitated towards bodily abstraction as I have been able to focus on my own traumas that are imprinted by the senses of the body within a better understanding of cultural diversity and the identity of Asian female who lives in the U.S.

Do you pursue any collaborations, projects, or careers in addition to your studio practice? If so, can you tell us more about those projects, and are there connections between your studio practice and these endeavors?

Teaching, community building, and participating in good cause exhibitions/donations opportunities are my three main interests outside of my private studio practice. Engaging in those emboldens my pursuit of art making practice.

As a result of the pandemic, many artists have experienced limited access to their studios or loss of exhibitions, income, or other opportunities. Has your way of working (or not working) shifted significantly during this time? Are there unexpected insights or particular challenges you’ve experienced?

It was indeed tough until last year. I also lost exhibitions, studio, income, and residency opportunities as many artists did. As much as I was frustrated and depressed due to all the losses, I’ve also learned to see a broader spectrum of art-making practice and was able to expand my idea of being an artist.

Can you share some of your recent influences? Are there specific works—from visual art, literature, film, or music—that are important to you?

I have been reading writings by authors with Asian background including Minjin Lee, Jackie Wang, Ocean Vuong, and JungHee Oh. These writers’ wide range of visions on racial, economic, political, cultural and historical dimensions of injustice in different societies have provided me with insights on the beauty of Asian or Asian American Identity as well as the ongoing, deeply rooted inequity and grievances we live with.

Do you have any tips or advice that someone has shared with you that you have found particularly helpful?

Always pay attention to the whispering voice in your head, support your peer artists, and take care of yourself.:)

What are you working on in the studio right now? What’s coming up next for you?

I am currently working on an exhibition/project at Home Gallery NYC which opens Sep 22nd, 2022. The project came as a response to recent increase of mass shootings and hate crimes targeting specific identity groups and it will be my first installation piece in NYC. I’m also working towards a two-person exhibition in LA which opens later this year.

To find out more about Annette Hur check out her Instagram and website.