Jennifer Seo painstakingly recreates everyday objects as ghostly paper constructions. CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University’s Fielding-Wright Art Center Gallery has kicked off its 2023-2024 season with an exhibition of delicate paper sculptures by Jennifer Seo. An opening reception was held on August 24.
Jennifer Seo painstakingly recreates everyday objects such as teacups, bowls, tables, flatware, eyeglasses, cross necklaces, and embroidered handkerchiefs she discovers in old family photographs as ghostly paper constructions. She said, “I remake these objects to better understand what we find important about them and why. Objects go from being simply a thing we interact with as utility to a thing that embodies a philosophy and culture.”
For Seo, who is of Korean descent and was born in Florida, the process of fashioning these paper sculptures is a way of connecting with her distant family and imagining their day-to-day lives. She says that the fragile and abstract nature of these paper sculptures becomes a metaphor for her thought process, and for the difference between her projections and actuality, between observation and perception.
Art department chair Cetin Oguz said, “Through Jennifer Seo’s work, I was reminded of the power of objects and memories created through them with family and friends. Seo crafted each object using translucent paper by folding them in superb precision. I have had a variety of emotions when viewing this exhibition- vulnerability, sadness, and joy. I was reminded that our experiences and possessions are temporary, and the only way we can bring meaning to our material possessions is through our relationships.”
Seo was born in Florida and grew up in Los Angeles. She received a BFA degree from Baylor University, then worked as an assistant for the sculptor Karl Umlauf before earning an MFA degree from the University of Texas-San Antonio. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. Her work has been featured in group and solo exhibitions in the United States and South Korea.
“Jennifer Seo: Paperworks” will be on view in the gallery from August 24 to September 21. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The gallery is closed on weekends, holidays, and during semester breaks. For further information visit their website at https://www.deltastate.edu/art/wright-center-art-gallery/ or call 662-846-4720. For updates and announcements of upcoming events follow Delta State Art Department on Facebook or join their email list.
