Journey as an Artist
Article Transcript
Yonnie Woo
My name is Yonie Woo and I’m from The Republic of Korea. I established my caricature company in 2002 in Seoul, South Korea. The one simple reason I chose the caricature area is because I can have fun with people and my artwork. So, I named my company Fun Caricature. Caricature is such an easy way to share a smile and it makes the world a happier place. Caricature is also a great way for communication and sharing. There are several ways to do live caricature. One of my favorites is by volunteering. I have been traveling since my early 20s. I have been to over 80 countries, meeting people and experiencing their culture. As a caricature artist, I can travel all over the world volunteering and exhibiting my art. I would like to share with everyone the great opportunities I have had over the years with ISCA artists. 2006-2012 volunteering in Cambodia, Myanmar and Mongolia. It is amazing that caricatures can make people so close even though they have totally different languages and cultures. Volunteering, in my opinion, not only helps other people but is also a way to meet amazing people. It also helps you appreciate the greatness of caricature outside of the retail stand. If you are interested in volunteering, you can apply through any church missionaries, organizations to help the disabled, international volunteering groups, etc. They will always welcome a caricature artist.
I love attending and organizing exhibitions. Yes, it can be a bit of a hassle to plan and organize them. But I know how difficult it can be to get a chance to sell artwork in a gallery. So I decided to make my own gallery to help artists, especially caricaturists, illustrators and photographers. In Seoul, I organized international caricature exhibits with artists from different countries. I also try to exhibit my artwork, which is photography and caricature, alongside different art areas so I can be more unique. When I exhibited in Hanoi, Vietnam, among the 100 fine artists, I was awarded the silver award for my photography. After that, I got more chances to exhibit my photos, which I had been taking for more than 10 years whenever I was traveling. It was really fun to finally show my photos that I had been saving. In September, I was invited to have a solo exhibition in a big gallery in Seoul. An exhibition is really hard to prepare for, but every time, I can see myself improving and learning many things.
I am combining Gallery Woo 2 and an art studio for artists to have a place to paint and sleep. Every year, as an artist, I expect my life to be better. There are so many ways I can use my talent to make friends, travel, make my life more fun and make the world a better place. Would you like to join?
Marcus Sakoda
My name is Marcus Sakoda, and I’m a caricature artist from San Jose, Calif. This year, I have had the amazing opportunity to travel to four countries. Before last year, I had never traveled outside of the United States. I have been able to travel all around the world for one reason: my passion for caricature. Currently, I am living in Seoul, South Korea, working for Yonie Woo’s Fun Caricature Company. Thanks to Yonie Woo, I have been able to exhibit and volunteer my artwork in four countries: Korea, Vietnam, China and Mongolia.
Yonie Woo, owner of Fun Caricature and Gallery Woo in Seoul, has exhibited her caricatures around the world and is continually being invited to more exhibitions. She also invites international artists to exhibit their caricatures at her gallery and other galleries around Seoul. Because of my passion for caricature and desire to be in the fine art field, Yonie thought it would be a great opportunity for me to join her on some of these exhibitions. I knew that these trips would be a great investment for my dream future as a fine artist. I also assumed that I would be the only caricature artist in these groups, so I would definitely stand out. Vietnam was our first trip this year, in February. We traveled with about 100 other veteran Korean artists. Our location was a hotel in Hanoi, the capitol city of Vietnam. There were two artists per hotel room exhibiting their artwork. The entire floor became a gallery that guests could walk through to view the artwork. This kind of thing is called a hotel fair. The artwork is put in a hotel room instead of a gallery so the buyer can see the artwork in a home-space scenario. Pieces were hung in the bathroom, above the bed or above the television.
In May, we had our second trip to China. Yonie and I were invited to take part in a sketch travel exhibition. Our objective was to exhibit our artwork and then sketch at Baek Du San, a Korean Mountain, half of which was bought by China from North Korea. This time, we had an exhibition hall at the national museum, which was three stories high, each artist with their own cubicle-type gallery. There were more than 200 artists this time, including Chinese and Korean artists. Lastly was our trip to Mongolia. This trip was not for exhibition, but a chance to volunteer our caricature talents to the Mongolian people. This time we went with a large group of doctors from a church. We volunteered at two locations for three days, drawing caricatures for the Mongolians that needed medical help from the doctors. It was a very rewarding experience helping the Mongolian kids and elders. After all the hard work was done, our group got to enjoy some Mongolian culture like living in a geru (traditional Mongolian hut), riding horses and watching a sheep get slaughtered (and eating it afterwards).
While living in Korea this year, I have exhibited my artwork at three galleries: Gallery Woo, Play Sketchbook Café, and Jung Art Gallery. My caricatures have been hung at Gallery Woo among other international artists. I had a solo exhibition at Play Sketchbook Café. Finally, I was part of a group exhibition with four other Japanese artists at the Jung Art Gallery. I was also able to volunteer my caricature abilities in Yeosu (a southern city in Korea) at a school for disabled children.
Ever since I started drawing caricatures, I have been introduced to hundreds of artists, been able to travel to many countries and have boosted my artistic motivation. I feel so fortunate to have exhibited in three countries as well as volunteered my abilities to help others, and all in less than eight months! I am especially thankful to Yonie for organizing the exhibitions and volunteer work. I will maintain my passion for caricature and I hope to have many more incredible experiences.
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