Susan Lee-Chun, a performance-based artist currently based in Miami, works in an interdisciplinary manner. Her interests in the relationship between identity and place manifest in a body of work that incorporates performance, video, and installations. Fascinated with the power of humor and its capability to grab the attention of a wider audience, Lee-Chun employs a tongue in cheek style to her works. However, the humor is only a façade; beyond the image lies a deeper intensity to the work that explores notions of race and identity politics. Through subtle representations and actions in the work, the artist investigates the pervasive struggles of being classified as an 'other', and one's innate desire to fit in. Lee-Chun confronts this classification by creating interactive works about how her presence and actions can impact and alter the perceptions of the viewing public.
VERSUS is a further step in my exploration of assimilation and identity politics. The work centers on two characters, Sue and Sioux. In past works, the character Sue was a vehicle used to demonstrate our innate desire to belong to the dominant group. Her attempts to assimilate, though aided by uniforms and make-up, were often failures because of her "different-ness". The new work provides a glimpse into the rise of Sioux, a comical and expressive personality of Sue, yet one who doesn't buy into the ideals of assimilating into the establishment. Sioux, the attacking figure, is the antithesis of Sue. And, the conflict and tension between these two figures implies the rejection and subversion of assimilation and being a "team player". Sioux rejects the familiar and defiantly marches to her own beat.
Susan Lee-Chun obtained her BFA from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and MA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
She has exhibited & performed internationally and nationally- Herning Kunstmuseum (Denmark), Vienna Biennale (2006), Pacific Asia Museum (LA), The Moore Space and Museum of Contemporary Art (Miami).