Yeonsu Ju
Yeonsu Ju – MA/MFA/PhD
I see painting as an imaginary space where you can meet lost loves. The process of painting to me is regarded as a ritual ceremony for mourning and recalling the dead. I take inspiration from ‘Gijesa’, a spiritual ritual practiced in Korea as a way for Koreans mourn for the deceased. It is a Confucian memorial rite held to honour the ancestors at the earliest hour on the anniversary of their death with food offerings prepared the day before.
Regarding that, I repeatedly portray dining scenes, thus consider myself as a host who invites and prepares to meet them. And I keep interrupting the dinner through unconventional means wishing this gathering never ends, therefore guests cannot leave.