Julia Kwon sews interpretive Korean textiles, specifically in the form of patchwork bojagi (Korean object-wrapping cloth), to critique received notions of Asiatic femininity and challenge reductive, easily legible identities. Although her bojagi textiles may initially be perceived as traditionally Korean, the patchwork designs are actually derived from urgent contemporary sociopolitical issues and events. Her work moves beyond simply representing minority identities as she aims to comment on the interconnected systems of oppression. Kwon’s practice contests the notion of authenticity and explores the complexities involved in constructing identities within the current framework of cultural hybridity, intersectionality, and the collective pursuit of social justice.
