Debbie Han Q&A
Firstly congratulations Debbie - what does it mean for you to have been chosen as the winner?
I'm honoured to receive this award, and it feels like a great affirmation on the path I've chosen in life. Finding meaning in what we do and defining who we are, are two of life's most critical questions.
I thought that I was giving up everything in order to do the one thing my heart so desired; but if you press on with faith, openness and persistence, things eventually come to you in bigger ways than you'd ever expected.
Talk us through your winning artwork, Seated Three Graces.
I first came to Korea six years ago and felt intensely for what was happening in this part of the world. Being Korean-American, I grew-up accustomed to juggling two cultures in the States, but seeing the clashes of tradition and westernization in Asia today was something else.
"Seated Three Graces" challenges the standardized Eurocentric canon of beauty by photographing bodies of actual, present-day Asian women and combining them with prototypical western classical heads. A painstakingly meticulous digital rendering process has been applied to generate the marble-like skin texture of each figure, thereby intensifying its illusive power. The dissonance between the head and the body is to provoke critical issues from art history, social values, interracial relations, and contemporary social challenges.
What chords do you think it struck with the judges, who voted it the winner?
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
I heard that all of the five jurors gave the highest points to my work. I think that they penetrated the context of my work, that through the metaphorical theme of beauty, it was addressing greater social issues and questioning notions of identity, perception, and culturalization. They may also have found my form original, as I've spent outrageous amounts of time experimenting with new ways of expressing these ideas and develping proper methodologies for them.
What will you do with the $25,000 prize?
It will lift financial concerns off my shoulders and allow me to delve into my work for a while. Most of my sculpture projects require technical assistance and I still owe the technicians payments from last year's projects.
What projects are you currently working on?
I'm working on two photo series and two sculpture series, most of which have been developing in the last five years. There's a ceramic sculpture series titled "Terms of Beauty" where I reconstruct the face of the well-known beauty icon of Venus de Milo into ethnically and racially diverse facial features and sculpt them in ancient Asian ceramic type. I work in diverse genres and materials because I'm interested in exploring their possibilites, to see if I can still come up with fresh ways of expressing my ideas.
If you could have chosen a winner, other than yourself, which artwork would you have selected and why?
When I first saw the images of the finalists' works, I was drawn to one work in particular, "Homonculus," and thought that if my work makes it to the final round with few others, it would be up against this one. It shows a good concept and meticulous craftmenship. I heard later that it was the first runner up.
-
Looking forward to Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary party
From 9-12 May 2025, Tate Modern, one of London’s most adored art museums, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a lively weekend of festivities
By Smilian Cibic Published
-
‘Music is in the DNA of the brand’: AV Vattev on creating this year’s loudest accessory
Rising London designer AV Vattev – who has recently outfitted Charli XCX and Troye Sivan for their viral ‘Sweat’ tour – talks about the influence of music on his ‘bold and unapologetic’ collections
By Jack Moss Published
-
The case of Casa Batlló: inside Antoni Gaudí’s ‘happiest’ work
Casa Batlló by Catalan master architect Antoni Gaudí has just got a refresh; we find out more
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Cyprien Gaillard on chaos, reorder and excavating a Paris in flux
We interviewed French artist Cyprien Gaillard ahead of his major two-part show, ‘Humpty \ Dumpty’ at Palais de Tokyo and Lafayette Anticipations (until 8 January 2023). Through abandoned clocks, love locks and asbestos, he dissects the human obsession with structural restoration
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published
-
Year in review: top 10 art interviews of 2022, chosen by Wallpaper* arts editor Harriet Lloyd-Smith
Top 10 art interviews of 2022, as selected by Wallpaper* arts editor Harriet Lloyd-Smith, summing up another dramatic year in the art world
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published
-
Yayoi Kusama on love, hope and the power of art
There’s still time to see Yayoi Kusama’s major retrospective at M+, Hong Kong (until 14 May). In our interview, the legendary Japanese artist vows to continue to ‘create art to leave the message of “love forever”’
By Megan C Hills Last updated
-
Antony Gormley interview: ‘We’re at more than a tipping point. We’re in a moment of utter crisis’
We visit the London studio of British sculptor Antony Gormley ahead of his major new show ‘Body Field’ at Xavier Hufkens Brussels
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Last updated
-
Photographer Maisie Cousins on nostalgia, impulsive making and ‘collecting useless things’
Explore the vision of British artist Maisie Cousins in ‘Through the lens’, our monthly series spotlighting photographers who are Wallpaper* contributors
By Sophie Gladstone Last updated
-
Rashid Johnson in Menorca: a journey through migration, longing and togetherness
We visited Rashid Johnson’s Brooklyn studio ahead of the artist’s show at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, which contemplates drift – physical and emotional
By Osman Can Yerebakan Published
-
Step inside the kaleidoscopic universe of Pipilotti Rist
Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, who headlines Wallpaper’s November 2022 issue, has transformed the way we see, with a poetic yet playful practice spanning three decades. Here, and in a special portfolio, she reveals how she has liberated video art from its conventions, imbued the digital realm with emotion, animated public spaces, and harnessed the healing powers of colour
By Jessica Klingelfuss Last updated
-
Gathering: the new Soho gallery blending art and social activism
Gathering, the newest gallery resident in London’s Soho, will focus on contemporary art exploring systemic social issues. Ahead of Tai Shani’s inaugural show, we speak to founders Alex Flick and Trinidad Fombella about their vision for the gallery
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Last updated