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Author: Hyesena Heo, Editor
Photo Credits: Yoosamu Guanyun
In an interview with artist Yoosamu, I was struck by a refreshing and profound insight into his artistic world. As we delved into his works, the unique blend of curiosity and enigma emerged. Yoosamu's art, which combines elements of anime with the mysteries of life, evokes nostalgia while simultaneously presenting an 'updated' form of artistry, as he calls it. This article introduces the artist, who works under the concepts of confidential documents, tradition, and remakes.
“I am Yoosamu, primarily a painter who also engages in sculpture and new media work,” he explained. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, in 2003, and completing his postgraduate studies at Michigan State University in Ann Arbor, he has exhibited his work in China, Korea, New York, and Germany. Currently, he is based in China, teaching at the New Zealand University’s China campus in Hangzhou.
Yoosamu's work evokes a pop art sensibility with nostalgic gaming elements. “My work revolves around three main themes: confidential documents and internet culture, the question of what tradition is, and remakes,” he outlined.
Yoosamu's interest in confidential documents began while serving as an interpreter for the Korean-American Joint Forces, where he handled sensitive military meetings and translations. His time serving in Iraq revealed how media portrayal of war often deviates from reality.
"Media reports are subjective interpretations by journalists, leading to phenomena like fake news, where distorted information is consumed," he observed. "CIA, FBI, NSA, and NASA documents, though dry, often provide the closest representation of events." Yoosamu transforms these documents into art, infusing them with subjective artistic perspectives.
His current series, Unknown Knowns, includes insights from a document revealing musical torture at Guantanamo Bay, where prisoners were subjected to songs like Metallica, Eminem, and Sesame Street's Come and Play where everything is A-ok. “Even music intended for children can be weaponized,” he noted.
Yoosamu Guanyun
Reflecting on traditional art, Yoosamu questioned why statues of deities do not evolve to reflect contemporary appearances. Despite Buddhism’s spread across Asia and adaptation to local cultures, modernization has halted such transformations. “Tradition isn’t about preservation but change,” he argued, suggesting that unchanging traditions lack vitality.
In his project, Yoosamu uses anime culture to modernize ancient Buddhist statues. “It’s more an update than modernization,” he emphasized, creating his Yoosamu Guanyin statue, inspired by Avalokiteshvara’s evolving identity across cultures.
Yoosamu also comments on Hollywood’s remake culture. “Up until the 1990s, 10% of U.S. films were foreign, but now they’re just 0.7%,” he noted, attributing the decline to Hollywood’s practice of acquiring remake rights. “Eastern stories are often repackaged for Western consumption without Eastern actors,” he lamented, questioning whether Eastern narratives must always be repackaged to be accepted by Western society.
Yoosamu uses anime to remake Western paintings, critiquing Hollywood’s remake practices.
Before fully engaging in artistic pursuits, Yoosamu worked as an art director, winning awards like Cannes Lions and The One Show. His brother, director Sean Yoo, often collaborates with him on projects.
Currently, Yoosamu teaches design at the New Zealand University’s China campus. His research brought him to China, and though the setting might seem unexpected given his American education and career, it aligns with his artistic investigations.
Despite being based in China, Yoosamu frequently visits the U.S. “I aim to exhibit new works in New York soon,” he revealed, committed to continuous creative development.
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Yoosamu
Graduated from Art Center College of Design and Michigan State University. Currently a lecturer at New Zealand University’s China campus, he actively exhibits in China, Korea, New York, and Germany.
