tthe nu'goo project (2019)
Growing up in a primarily white suburb of California, I felt the constant need to do as much as I can to fit in with my peers and to blend into the background. In fear of standing out, I overtly rejected every facet of my culture. I refused to learn the language and acted embarrassed by many of the traditional practices.
This digital photography series, titled "The Nu'Goo Project," shares my story and my inner battle with accepting and embracing all of who I am as a Korean American girl. In Asian culture, the color red is a symbol of luck or passion. However, in Western culture, there are aggressive connotations around the color, viewing red as a symbol of violence or strength. In these two pieces of the "Nu’Goo Project" that engage with the theme of red, I illustrate this cultural dichotomy of interpretations: the two forces that tugged at me during my identity crisis. The dual meaning of red continues to serve as a metaphor of the cultural forces that pull and define me today.