Dain Yoon: The Self Illusion
With everyone being able to upload their supposed art online now, much of the creative world has increasing become forgettable- especially the fine arts. Unless there is some sort of controversy or in most cases some explained pretentiousness attached, contemporary art works are more or less no longer relevant anymore. Essentially care for craft and old school artistry has faded into the background with the rise of new apps being continually launched- all trying to break the internet and earn that prized fifteen minutes of fame. Just heading into a gallery nowadays, there is almost a guarantee that some young well dressed influencer will be disturbing the atmosphere with a planned photo shoot and despite the poetic caption that will surely follow- generally there is no sincere appreciation for the actual exhibition. However from time to time, we discover that rare gem that not only captivates us with their work- but also leaves an everlasting impression for us to constantly think about. One of these gems is most certainly the talented Ms. Dain Yoon.
Once you encounter her work, there is no forgetting. Her unique style of using her own body as the main canvas makes her artistry one of a kind, one that has arguably never been seen before - or rather never been done so majestically well. From picking up paintbrushes at the early age of nine to then move into high school where teachers would praise her class scribbles, the immense creativity has been evident for a long time. So much so, that it was advised early on that Dain should start making money off her art, and eventually that’s what she did.
Now, Dain Yoon has progressed through the industry as a full time artist and has even managed to collaborate with the heavy weights of the creativity industry - completing commissions for likes of Estee Lauder and Paramount Studios to just name a few. Yoon paints on her body as a somewhat emotional rehab, showcasing her interpretation of self-truth and personal expression. Sometimes her art pieces are simply blending into either the background or foreground of an image- but more often or not, her works are presented as optical illusions mirroring her emotions in the hope that onlookers will be able to connect in some manner.
Yet to describe Yoon’s work in words would simply be an injustice - and so I would recommend having a gander online and seeing for yourself. In saying that though, it should certainly be prefaced that you will undoubtedly fall into a rabbit hole of her works and eventually find yourself zooming into every picture for hours on end wondering whether or not the images are actually real or digitally enhanced. Make sure your phone battery is fully charged before searching her name. Welcome to the world of Dain Yoon – have fun.
First of all, I’m sure you have heard it many times over but your work is incredibly mesmerising- how did you get started?
Dain Yoon: I have painted since I was 9 years old. I love it. I was so used to drawing and, frankly speaking, it was what I was best at. I graduated art middle school, art high school and art university in Korea. These art schools are the most prestigious in the country.
I wanted to study scenography, which is design and painting for theatrical scenery, because as a high school student I was very interested in movie and theatre. But when I studied scenography, I realized that I am a person who wants to do my own creative artwork, not commercial project work. So it’s at that moment I started to experiment with my own individual art.
When I am creating my ‘look’, I always try to capture everything inside the frame, not just the painting. I try to curate everything, not only the body parts being painted but also the background, the atmosphere, the movement of body, objects, lighting, every single detail. I think it comes from my experience with scenography. It made me look at the bigger picture, the whole scene. It helped me move my focus from the subject to the bigger picture.
The reason I started to paint illusions is that I believe people live in illusions. People perceive everything in their own subjective way. My illusions distort reality and perception that are generally shared by most people. A lot of people seem to think illusion means tricking people into something but I don’t think of it that way. I don’t think of illusion necessarily as trickery, but a wider concept- I think that anything, that seems slightly different from its original form, could be illusion, or take you out of the illusion you’re living.
Can you walk us through your creative process- from concept to finish?
DY: The first step is conceptualizing ideas. This takes the longest. The last step always depends… If I do body painting and want to record this as a digital, photo work, that would be last step. If it’s performance, performing would be the last step in the creation of the work.
That said, I feel that presentation of the work is as important as the making of it. So whether it’s finding the right frame or the right subject line for Instagram or Twitter or Facebook, this all is part of creating the experience or emotion I seek to communicate to my audience.
Where do you find inspiration from why those avenues?
DY: I think the reason my work sparks the reactions it does is because I make sure my work is inspired on true feelings, and I am happy that people are there to receive and be affected by them. I am a very sensitive person and my emotions have always been the source of my inspiration. And painting is the language I express myself in, in the same way as a musician uses music to communicate their emotions.
I get inspiration from my feelings, both emotional and physical. Since both of my parents worked day jobs, I had a lot of time to think on my own when I was young. Although everyone feels emotions, I was overly sensitive to my emotions, to an abnormal extent. So when I started painting from a young age, back when I used to paint on canvasses and papers, the subject matter of my work was almost always about people and emotions.
What project would you like to work on that you have not done so yet?
DY: I have lots things I would like to do...One of them is one day, I want to make my own film. Hopefully soon!
You have started to move into showcasing your work in galleries and movies- can you tell us about where your art has taken you and how you feel about how much you have achieved?
DY: This year, I participated in PhotoLA and last year I participated in Art Palm Springs and Art Busan. Also, I’ve done performances and solo shows at Seoul Art Centre. And I’ve done many collaborations, such as the movies Alita and Gemini Man. Also, brands, magazines, advertising etc...
I feel I’m very lucky that I can do what I love. I’m a full time artist. And it’s exactly as the word says: ‘FULL time’. From the moment I wake up, until I sleep, I keep thinking and thinking. I have many collaborations and art shows going on all over the world. And in the meantime, I always try to keep making my personal artwork as well. I really work hard to do this.
Which other artists inspire you and why?
DY: I’ve said a lot of times in public interviews, that one of my favourite artists is James Turrell. He’s the first one who actually gave me a “shock” when I watched one of his Art pieces for the first time.
What is your definition of illusion and its relation to both art and identity?
DY: I believe everything is or can be an illusion. Because every person, every individual identity, thinks in their own subjective way.
A lot of people seem to think illusions means tricking people into something but I don’t think that way. I don’t think of illusion necessarily as trickery, but a wider concept- I think that anything, that seems slightly different from its original form, could be illusion.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
DY: That’s a very difficult question.
After 10 years, I will be 36. It’s very difficult to estimate, knowing that even in the past 3 years everything has changed dramatically! The only thing I’m pretty confident about is that I will most likely be a mom at that time. Haha. But even then, I will keep making my work. Just as I am currently the daughter of an artist mom.
I always have high expectations for myself, and I work hard to achieve my goals. I always explore new mediums. Always have a strong interest in performance art as well, using my body as a medium or method of communication. I’m very interested in making a large-scale permanent land art piece as well… too many ideas, too little time!
As time passes, and the more work I do… the higher and higher my expectations for my work become. This makes it difficult for me to create sometimes. But I always keep thinking and try to observe the world with a fresh mindset. As time passes, my goals for my work are becoming infinite. I really appreciate the state of mind I’m in right now!
Words / QUADE AU