Neo-burlesque persona combining social practice, comedy, and performance art in interactive settings.

2013-Present

A group of Los Angeles-based artists of Korean descent, creates a series of digitally-presented sculptures invoking iconic female figures from Korean classical mythology. The artists draw upon powerful goddesses, monsters, and female figures associated with Korean origin stories and folktales. Using contemporary multimedia strategies as well as timeless art-making practices, the artists recontextualize the classical narratives and characters in today’s world, bringing attention to stories that are central to Korean consciousness throughout history. The works address themes such as marginal identities, female empowerment, and reconnecting with origin stories as a means to imagine new futures.

Han Diaspora Group - Scarlett Kim, Kwonyin, Saewon Oh, Yunuen Rhi, Jeong (Lynn Stransky), Kayla Tange, and Caroline Yoo

VISION:

The 화 Hwa Records project are FREE creative workshops for the Korean diaspora community living in the United States to see, feel, process, and release their own 화 HWA (fire). 

Where are our safe places of gathering, of community, of healing? 

Hwa Records is a series of alternative catharsis-performance workshops for the Korean diaspora. An intimate space for facilitating friendship and listening, the Hwa Records sessions are exercises that are inspired by Korean folk tradition with a hybrid twist to help find our own Korean-Western voices of Hwa (rage). 

화 Hwa has many different faces in the diaspora. There are those that need to be screamed out and broken completely, others need to give space to their shadow self through connecting with the Earth, and some may need to just move, no words involved. 

As Asian hate rises in the United States and our communities struggle with the violence towards our bodies and lack of understanding for our emotional needs, Hwa Records strives to create a safe place where members of the Korean-United States diaspora can find methods to release their HWA, unabashedly and creatively through methods such as drawing, collective screaming, meditation sessions, history research, and more.

Roger Kim, Saewon Oh, C. Ryu, and Kayla Tange

Sacred Wounds is a curated monthly showcase of femme and queer Asian artists and sex workers who seek to "subvert stereotypes and heal ancestral trauma through boundless self-expression." 

Sacred Wounds explores traditions, history and truths and how they can be transformed into visionary offerings. We create a space for performers to subvert stereotypes, transmute expectations and enchant the audience with ritual, performance art, burlesque, fetish and alchemy.

Co-founder of a diverse collective dedicated to challenging industry exploitation by creating pop-up shows that empower workers with control over their conditions and earnings through solidarity and community.

2021-Present