YK Hong
A Bed-Stuy resident hailing from Seoul, Korea, YK Hong utilizes her international perspective in her work as an artist, activist and author. Specifically she´s intrigued by subjects like race, liberation, community accountability, migration, gentrification, consumption, anti-oppression and revolution. Hong´s TEDx talk, which can be found on ykhong.com, deals with her unique ideas on mindfulness and creativity. Her creative skills can be seen especially in her artwork, a mixture of traditional Korean techniques and contemporary experimental practices. Hong uses numerous media, ″combining the inherent organic grit of the material with often jarring human-made elements,″ according to her website. She also has done special online projects like 365 Release, in which she gave away one thing a day for an entire year. ″I do what I do out of necessity because I am compelled,″ she says. ″Not creating is not an option. To me, art and activism are inseparable. I have always felt that way. I exist to show people the world can be different, that we can find liberation through both mass rabble-rousing shifts and simple, individual, everyday acts. That´s my activism. That´s my art.″ -GH
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