Detail: Between San Souci and the Setting Sun, screen print collage, 2007
Providence has, for the better part of my life, punched well above its weight when it comes to art, music and academia. The list of talent and intellect that either call or have called Providence home, or have come through as part of their ascent is a long and distinguished one. Add Jungil Hong to that lineup. The Korean born RISD graduate has been part of the Providence scene with her husband Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt, et. al.) since the days of Fort Thunder and the then-nascent art and music scene which defines the city to this day.
I was lucky enough to drop in on the last day of her show just over the bridge in EP this afternoon. ODD-KIN is a generously well lit and fluently functional space set up for emerging artists to both showcase their work and navigate their projects over time. The showing periods are liberal, with exhibitions lasting up to several months. Hong’s work has been up since May, so this is a bit of an admission of ignorance on my part. Even worse, it’s right near my shop, so how could I have missed this? I’m going to blame it on the 195 bridge closure. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I’ll let the gallery’s statement do the talking from here:
The Time Being is a culmination of works that carry personal weight, serving as a love letter to Hong’s past and future selves. It marks a significant moment after a pause, emerging from a period of deep introspection and questioning. Through this exhibition, Hong revisits her work, identifying the common thread that unites seemingly disparate elements. Ultimately, The Time Being invites viewers to embark on a journey of self discovery alongside the artist, exploring themes of identity, labor, and the passage of time.
Self portraits III, IV, V, inkjet prints on archival paper, 2024
The following piece lands squarely in my wheelhouse, combining visuals, textures, retro mixed media (cassette recordings of engineered sounds from the loom manufacture of the work itself), and the representative patterns of coded bitmap:
Bitmap, Jacquard and mixed media, 2015
Untitled 3, Wool, Cotton, Rayon, 2015
Sadly, I did not get to this show soon enough to get the word out in time here, but Jungil’s work can be seen at her website and her textile studio, Namu Future. Please check out her works and support local artists!
Informative and well-written post, Tom.. thanks so much for sharing about her work! It's virtually impossible to keep track of all the amazing artists here in PVD and around the area. Keep up the reporting and your well-written reviews. 👏