Today we’d like to introduce you to Eun-kyung Suh.
Eun-kyung, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I worked as an artist for the past 20 years and exhibited nationally and internationally, including solo shows at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Weisman Art Museum in the Twin Cities. While I was preparing for a solo show as an Inaugural McKnight Fellow for Fiber Arts in 2020, the pandemic broke out, and the world had gone into quarantine to combat the spread of Covid-19. Artists struggled to create art works in response to the Covid-19 lockdown and had to endure art shows being canceled, studio space becoming unaffordable, and art galleries and museums being closed. Due to sustained isolation, I felt helpless, powerless, and incapable. Furthermore, I became skeptical about the role of art in the time of social disaster. My view dramatically changed when I connected with people remotely. I saw people knitting, crocheting, or sewing in front of their computer monitors while they were joining virtual meetings. Crafting seemed to help them stop worrying about uncertainty and reduce loneliness and depression, as it required focused attention. Although crafts have been considered a peripherical art form throughout history in comparison to fine arts, I have observed that small-scale craft projects help people, whether they are professional or amateur, get through their daily lives. Discovering the healing power of crafts, I decided to transition from fine arts to crafts so I could connect with people through non-traditional venues while art galleries and museums weren’t accessible.
Another turning point for my new artistic path was the death of George Floyd and the subsequent hate crimes against Asian American people and their communities. These tragic incidents confirmed that systematic discrimination and bias on the basis of race still prevail and pervade in the US. Instead of participating in the crowd of protesters demanding justice, I conceived my own abiding way to fight for inclusivity, equality, and equity. As an Asian woman who immigrated from Korea, I wanted to use craft as a tool to foster an understanding of different cultures and traditions between communities. To achieve this goal, I launched Munee.LLC, a design company, where I create modern and handcrafted home décor products inspired by traditional patterns of Korean arts and crafts. By sharing my cultural heritage, I aim to promote the understanding diverse cultures of different ethnic groups.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Switching careers from an artist to a designer was not smooth as I founded a design company, Munee. Munee is a Korean word for ‘pattern’. Starting a small business with an LLC company structure entailed a number of different tasks and processes, such as creating a distinctive brand, choosing a legal structure, developing social media content, assessing legal and tax issues, and designing a website. None of these were easy to accomplish. I am still figuring out an effective marketing strategy for my business but advocating for the value of handcrafted work among people is the biggest challenge I face. Last November, I was invited to participate in the Minneapolis Gift and Art Expo 2022 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. It was a truly valuable but different experience from the those that I had as an artist at traditional venues such as opening receptions, artist talks, and/or lectures at the galleries or museums. At the Expo, I was able to meet with visitors, explain the meanings of the patterns used in my designs, and share my culture and tradition with people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. At the same time, I realized how difficult it is to meet customers’ expectations for handcraft quality at mass-production price. One of my goals is to introduce people to affordable handcrafted items so that they can own and use Munee products in their everyday lives. However, it is difficult to maintain a sustainable and profitable business structure when factory made, or mass produced products are dominant. It is my hope that Munee can combine ideals with reality in the course of development.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My company, Munee, strives to develop, handcraft, and introduce home design products inspired by traditional Korean arts, but with a modern twist. The brand is intended to be a platform that promotes Korean arts and culture through history, design, and architecture. My long-term vision is to establish a platform that promotes Korean arts and culture by sharing various educational and informational resources. As a result, the Munee website serves as both an e-commerce and an educational platform. My customers can have deep insight into the rich traditions and cultures of Korea by visiting the website, mu-nee.com.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Eun-Kyung Suh’s bio Korean-born textile installation artist Eun-Kyung Suh received an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA, USA. Since 2008 she has been focusing on a series of sculptural vessels as a metaphor for personal, family, and cultural memories. These sculptural vessels are created out of diaphanous textiles, using a design originally inspired by Bojagi, one of the traditional Korean art forms.
Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN, Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ, Nord Gallery, San Antonio, TX, Galerie sei-un-do, Zurich, Switzerland, Montreal Center for Contemporary Textiles, Montreal, Canada, and Barabas Villa Gallery, Budapest, Hungary. Her textile work was published in Textiles: The Art of Mankind by Mary Schoeser Thames & Hudson, Dec 2012. Eun-Kyung Suh received the 2020 McKnight Fellowships for Fiber Artists, and she is currently a Professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mu-nee.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/munee_official/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/muneehouse
