Through the years the St. Agnes Library has featured many local artist’s exhibitions. It has become something our patrons look forward to seeing with each visit. With our temporary closure due to COVID-19, we want to share artists' work so that everyone can experience some beauty in their life.

This week we are happy to exhibit the work of Jihoe Koo.

Artist Statement

My work originates from printmaking. I begin my pieces through the process of the digital print. As the pieces develop, I incorporate drawing and collage through the use of photography, linocut, monotype, raster graphics editor, pencil, ink, marker, watercolor, paper and threads, which I glue onto the surface or stitches into the paper. I am interested in exploring the concepts of time and memory, and I find the technique of printmaking to be a suitable means for expressing these ideas.

My printmaking series is about my childhood and self-rediscovery. Since embarking on the path of motherhood, I have enjoyed observing my children grow up, but feared for a while that I might lose myself as an artist. The burden of childcare always came to me unequally in the home, and I, as a mother in it, had to struggle with the childcare work to find my career. One day while flicking through my personal family photography album, I discovered my kids were reflection of my childhood and myself, so that my existence would never disappear. On my prints, the children are colorfully dressed, but their faces have no color. The child could be everyone to remind viewer’s childhood through my printmaking. My goal is to bring the concept of memory and time through my artwork. It depicts all kind of the inner emotional state through the child's gestures, moods, memories and places. I believe that my works will be a bridge sharing “empathy” with people. Children become mirror.

My friend, Joy! 2017 (by Jihoe Koo)

I have one friend.

My friend’s name is Joy.

Who is Joy you ask?

Joy is a tree.

Spring, summer, autumn and winter,

Whenever the season, she brings me Joy.

That is why I named her Joy.

Joy stays and watches over me.

Joy does not move but she has fun with me.

Joy has a secret pocket.

Joy helps to hide the acorns for the squirrels.

Joy has many friends.

Ants, squirrels and birds all come to play with her.

Joy is fashionable.

She has a cool light green outfit

and decorative selections of beautiful apple tree blossoms in her hair when Spring comes.

She has a dark green dress in the summer

and with it she makes a relaxing waving shadow.

In Autumn, She changes to wear a beautiful dress

with variety of colors as red, yellow, and orange.

And when winter comes,

she makes me laugh with a naked brown figure.

One day when the snowstorm came,

I was so worried that Joy would be cold.

The next morning,

I rushed to the park in front of my house with my mom to meet Joy.

Joy smiled and greeted me with a shiny white dress from her head to toe. Joy standing in a white tranquility was so beautiful.

I thought Joy was like a princess in the snow.

Joy surprises me with new looks every time, and I like Joy so much.

The blue bird. 2017 (by Jihoe Koo)

Happiness was neither dream nor fantasy.

It was not far from me.

It was right now.

It was not happy even if I could have the blue bird.

Even without the blue bird,

Happiness is to love my being.

It is the present time to challenge my life and take adventure.

Are you happy now?

Call the sea. 2017 (by Jihoe Koo)

I shout out to the sea and ask.

The sea has no answer either.

The sea constantly makes a splash sound.

I take courage again and call the sea.

The sea has no answer either.

The sea comes to slither up the beach like a living.

I finally cry out to the sea with all my might.

The sea has no answer either.

The sea only listens to my story silently.

Mirror in the snow. 2017 (by Jihoe Koo)

On a snowy day,

Everything is dyed in white,

It is so tranquil that

my little breath can be heard in my ears.

The whole world is so pure,

I will be a white lamb in there.

The snowfield becomes a mirror,

I come across another me.

"Who are you?"

I ask questions to another me.

“There it is!” 2017 (by Jihoe Koo)

Where do you think the child in the picture points?

There is a wall blocked in front of the child.

Sometimes the wall in that picture happens in my life.

What place is that child pointing out her hand?

Maybe after the dark and frustrating wall is over,

You can see a wide blue sky.

There will certainly be new hope where that child points.

Biography

Jihoe Koo was born in Seoul, Korea and moved to France for her study. She earned Diplome from École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, section de la gravure in Paris, France and MFA in printmaking from Sung-shin Women’s University, Seoul, Korea. She had solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions including the 5th Sapporo International Print Biennale Exhibitions, Sapporo, Japan (2000), Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists Project, NYFA, New York (2010), Dumbo Arts Festival in Brooklyn, New York (2011), the 6th Governors Island Art Fair, New York (2013), NYFA Curatorial exhibition ‘ Borderless: In Perspective’ curated by David Terry, Germany, Berlin (2017), ‘We The People’ curated by Heng-Gil Han and initiated by KAFNY, Ozaneaux ArtSpace, New York (2018), Branch to Branch projects at New York Public Library (2017-2019) and Studio Anise showroom Art Series Exhibition Curating Project, New York (2019). Jihoe Koo is a New York-based artist whose work spans multiple media from printmaking, sculpture, illustration and installation art.

You can see more of her work on Instagram.