Stitching around the Gender Gaps: “Azumma” goes to the Art World
by Jojo Lee
How women reveal and heal our own wounds, and how it could be “arts”?There are a bunch of middle-aged Korean women, including myself so-called “Azumma”, who are stereotyped as lacking in education, training, taste, and etiquette. We are directly on the opposite side of the grace and beauty of so-called “Art” with a capital A.However, Who decided what Art is? Who categorised what Beauty is? And who confirmed who artists are and what artists look like?We, Azumma, struggle to embrace ourselves, families, colleagues, and this society as well in the face of insecure career conditions, marital or relationship difficulties, disabilities, uncertain/unspoken sexualities, or unpaid never-ending family support amid all unfair circumstances.We clearly see what beauties are, we vividly know what moves hearts, and can bloom paper roses when life throws us rubbish. We deserve to be respected.Our team of seven Korean middle-aged women and allies, all of whom are newly debuted as artists by this show, is fighting prejudice against the Azumma. Neither Tracey Emin, nor Louise Bourgeois, nor kimsooja, we never have ever learned or trained “Fine Art” before our forties or fifties, we only have needles and threads, which historically have been permitted and belong to women.Now and here, we attempt to make a small impact on “Art” with our own creativity and life experiences from angonies by using Korean traditional or modern women’s craft methods of sewing, knitting, and embroidery, known as “Gyubang Gongye,” which are similarly undervalued in established Art. We try to make a tiny breath hole to this solid one Art to vitalise many sorts of small arts. We try to operate sore wounds of Art with our own devices like experienced surgeons. While doing this project, we confessed the secrets, discussed what arts are, and encouraged each other’s bravery and talents. No competitions, no jealousies, and no betrayals; that is shown in every soap opera, there.This little experiment might be a subversive approach to create new identities for ourselves and fresh horizons in Art, I believe.Would you join us?