diana noh

I reconstruct distressed photographs of abandoned spaces and landscapes to explore the trauma of growing up between cultures. I identify with buildings that are hidden but accessible; they stand in for my body and neglected feelings. Born American and raised in a Korean household, the emotional burden of being raised between two different cultures has left me angry, resentful, guilty and confused. I seek to understand my internal fracture through a process of destroying and rebuilding large-scale photographs. I physically break down my imagery, incorporating tearing, burning, stitching, sewing, restoring and breaking parts to visualize my recovery process. These images become a stand-in for my body. I grapple with the tension of materials, construct a space primarily using canvas paper that lays its schema somewhere between two and three dimensions. I employ a variety of stitching methods to introduce chance into the work. Hand-stitching allows me to make intricate but slow stitches; machine-sewing allows me to utilize time but encroaches my authority. I build new layers of skin above my scars. They become my own space to rest, the only space which allows me to intentionally sink into selfishness.

Diana Noh is an interdisciplinary artist working with photography, fiber, and installation. Her practice celebrates reconstructions of distressed photographs of architectural spaces and landscapes, exploring themes of trauma embedded in her family relationships and cultural in-betweenness. Diana has exhibited pieces acrossAsia, North America, and Europe, at venues including Space HNH in Seoul, South Korea; Griffin Museum in Winchester, MA; Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL; The Arts Council in Fayetteville, NC; Editart in Geneva, Switzerland; Hudson Valley MOCA in Peekskill, NY. She has completed residencies at Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, WI; Talking Dolls in Detroit, MI. Her work is collected in the collections of Jennifer and Dan Gilbert, Kyungil University, and numerous Private Collections. Diana is currently an ArtistResidence atthe Chicago Artists Coalition in Chicago, IL. She holds a B.F.A. from Kyungil University (South Korea) and earned an M.F.A. at Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI).