Kyungah Ham participates in the Encounters sector of the 2016 edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong, presenting sixteen artists and their works from March 24th to 26th. Curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor,Executive Director of Artspace, Sydney, the artworks are installed adjacent to the traditional art fair, presenting exciting new works from around the world, with an emphasis on large-scale sculptures and installation works. Exploring the nature of “an encounter” the curator hopes to inspire the audience at Art Basel in Hong Kong to interact and be immersed in a visual arts environment.

Kyungah Ham works across installation, video, performance and traditional media. The legacy of war is a recurring motif in Ham’s work, in particular the division of the Korean peninsula following World War II and the related government propaganda that has characterized the conflict since the Korean War. Ham’s Embroidery Project series often conceals political messages, which may initially be eclipsed by her use of colorful and vibrant materials. Through the use of satire and uncanny juxtapositions of personal imagery, the artist reclaims forgotten or ignored histories, confronting her viewers with these marginalized voices and opening long ignored facets of Korean history. Her work reflects both historical and contemporary episodes of conflict, and constructs an unsettling and compelling mixture of ideology, social activism, and personal memory.

Despite her critical methodology, Ham’s work avoids being bombastic, and her topical use of imagery deftly challenges societal stereotypes. The Embroidery Project series is the result of handwork by anonymous North Korean women, and Ham’s process of hiring these workers illustrates the relationship between these women, the tension between North and South Korea, and their history of conflict. Beset by countless trials and errors, this complex cross-border process creates an abstraction of the artist’s intent, capturing the inverted reality of North Korea.