Jisoo Shin
About
Her Portrait
Living as a woman in Korean society often feels like fighting a losing battle. It involves making even minor cracks and gathering those fragments, finding the strength to strike the rock again. As a child, she was forced to be gentle, quiet, and calm because she was a “girl.” Growing up, she was expected to be beautiful, quiet, and poised like a flower, under the phrase “flower-like 20s.” Women are three-dimensional beings who cannot be expressed in one word: female. However, there have been few opportunities to explore one’s ‘real self’ beyond the given role of being a woman. Through this project, she seeks to reclaim the meaning of femininity, unique to each individual, not the faded “femininity” defined by societal expectations.
In Korea, a phrase has been used for a long time: “Coffee or tea tastes better when women make it.” This expression has been used mainly for female employees at work, serving as a joke that takes for granted the “household labour” regarded as a woman’s job by treating employees who come to do their duties merely as “women.” In Korea’s corporate culture, where the hierarchy is firm, if a boss uses this expression, the female employee is expected just to smile and comply. This creates a particular sense of separation between socially constructed femininity and her true self, who went to work to perform a given task.
In this project, she aims to explore the tension between different personas by using objects considered socially feminine or exclusively female (e.g., tights, teacups, teaspoons, high heels) within tailored suits and office wear. This approach reflects her values of challenging conventional notions of femininity and provides a coherent narrative that engages the audience’s understanding of gender roles.
For the graduation show on July 20, she designed a performance depicting an office scenario involving two female employees. The performance begins with these employees unfolding their laptops at their desks. During the workday, one employee orders tea, which the other brings. In a pivotal moment, the tea drinker discards the tea into a trash can, symbolising the disposability of traditional roles. The roles are then reversed: the former tea server now orders the other to bring tea, highlighting a shift in the hierarchy. This performance is intended to foster a dialogue with the audience about the fluidity of power dynamics and the nuances of gender roles in everyday work environments. Through this interactive setting, the artist aims to involve viewers in a critical reflection on gender expectations and societal norms.
This performance illustrates the shifting dynamics between roles of power and subservience in a workplace setting. By depicting two female employees, it highlights the traditional expectations of gender roles and the inherent power imbalances within them. The act of reversing roles and discarding the tea symbolises the disposability and fluidity of these roles. By challenging conventional norms and illustrating these transitions, the artist critiques and questions traditional gender roles and their impact on personal identity. This approach addresses broader socio-cultural issues related to gender equality, self-expression, and the quest for authentic identity amidst societal expectations.
This project is a foothold in the artist’s journey toward understanding and reclaiming her authentic self amidst societal expectations. By engaging with objects traditionally associated with femininity and staging a performance that reflects the tension between different roles, she aims to challenge conventional norms and spark meaningful dialogue about gender and identity. This approach reflects her values and aesthetics, seeking to engage and resonate with the audience on a socio-cultural level.
- Email: jisooshin.j@gmail.com
- Instagram: @dixdux_x
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