Woo Jin Joo

RE-ENCHANT / Human and Material Gap

Through her work, Woo Jin explores the often human-centric and broken material system of modern society. As Freya Mathews wrote in Post-Materialism, ‘In pre-materialist societies, there was a depth of meaning and a feeling for the profound mystery and poetry of human existence that tends to be lacking in materialist societies.’ Woo Jin seeks to re-enchant and re-mystify a lost poetry in the way we see and engage with our materials and natural world, so that we could build more mindful and respectful relationships with the non-human entities that surround us. Her work provides an opportunity for the viewers to reassess their own perception of the often overlooked objects around them.  

In her current project Human and Material Gap, Woo Jin is especially focused on our relationship with textiles as a material. Textiles, which touch every corner of our lives, from the moment we are born, to the day we die, are an inseparable part of our daily lives. Yet, we no longer seem to appreciate their value due to its ever-growing abundance, diminishing price, and ease of disposal. How could we begin to mend this appalling relationship with textiles? How could we look beyond the consumeristic aspect of textiles? These are the questions that drive Woo Jin in creating her intricate embroidery sculptures and drawings, which provides viewers a chance to pause and appreciate the potential of industrially produced textile items.