Heejung Shin
Heejung Shin is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Korea, and currently works primarily in installation, drawing, and painting. Her work explores themes of identity, the fragility of the human body, and the concept of losing one’s language, culture, identity, and self due to cultural and social displacement. Heejung employs various mediums, with a particular emphasis on utilizing Han-Ji (Mulberry papers from Korea) in her collage, layering, and installation techniques.
She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a major in Honours Fine Arts Studio Practice, Intensive Studio Specialization. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding work, including the Printing Special Award, Helen L. Cross Memorial Scholarship, and Vern Hacking Award in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo. Additionally, Heejung has been recognized with a grant award from the Ontario Arts Council. She was also part of the Gang-Won Contemporary Art Group Exhibition at the Gangneung Museum of Art in Korea. Most recently, her installation work was selected for Nuit Blanche Winnipeg.
Artwork statement
Hanji, the time-honoured Korean paper, embodies resilience, texture, and a profound connection to the earth: roots that stretch deep into the soil, echoing stories of generations. Through my work with Hanji paper collage, I intertwine these narratives with abstract landscapes, endeavouring to depict the delicate balance between diaspora and identity.
The act of creating with Hanji paper is symbolic. Each fragment, though cut, torn, and repositioned, maintains its intrinsic integrity, mirroring the diasporic experience. The collages come together in harmony, just as diasporic communities converge, bringing their histories, traditions, and memories to forge a cohesive, yet multifaceted, identity.
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