Julia Chon

ARtist-in-residence / OCTOBER 9 - december 17, 2024

Julia Chon, better known by her artist name Kimchi Juice, is a Washington DC-based artist and muralist. Chon’s work focuses on honoring her Korean heritage. Most recently, she creates Korean Earthenware sculptures representative of traditional kimchi pots. One of her first kimchi pots was acquired into the Smithsonian permanent art collection in 2022.

Chon’s work explores the relationship between cultural tradition and its effects on generational identity and the decisions Asian Americans make to form their identities. With a prominent Korean aesthetic in each piece, Chon merges her ancestry and traditions with the contemporary to convey the nuances of the Korean diaspora.

As Chon’s work makes its way from canvas to large-scale murals, these intimate portraits take center stage in an urban environment. Her murals can be found internationally and her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Washington DC, Los Angeles, CA and Miami, FL. Chon’s clients and collaborations include NASA, Apple, the Korean Cultural Center, and the Phillips Collection, among others. Chon was featured in the HBO docuseries “Take Out with Lisa Ling.”

Learn more about Julia’s work at www.instagram.com/kimchi.juice

SPIRIT WHISPERS PERFORMANCE

Saturday, OCTOBER 26, 2024, 1pm

As part of her residency, Julia collaborated with Korean American shaman Mudang Jenn, who led a spiritual ritual at The Nicholson Project. The ritual cleansed the space, and audience members were invited to participate to connect with their ancestors and experience deep spiritual connection. In the space, Julia created a one-day exhibition featuring new paintings and an altar where visitors could bring small items in remembrance of their ancestors.

Interested in becoming our next artist-in-residence?