Two Week Notice

Stoneware, steel, various hardware, acrylic paint 

2024 

The tower of stools is the manifestation of Hong's determination, escape, and a  relentless pursuit in the creation of these stools for this installation. As he wraps up my time at the University of Washington, and contend with all the uncertainties that follow it, Hong has found comfort by escaping into a flow of repetition, crouched on the floor of the studio mixing, pinching, and cutting into clay to create stools stripped of their assumed function. In its monumental assemblage, while there is joy in the accumulation, there is a greater sense of uneasiness and discomfort by the towering of stools and the shadows that surround it. The viewers are  invited to grab a stool available and sit by the tower, to heighten a physical presence in relation to the objects that embody Hong's efforts. “How does one contend with the ambivalent consequences of their own hard work, at what cost?” 

photo credit: Ali Meyer