The Luminescent Sculptures of Young Joon Kwak

In the immersive world of contemporary art, Young Joon Kwak’s exhibition “RESISTERHOOD” at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art stands out as a compelling exploration of queer and trans identities through innovative sculpture and multimedia works. Kwak’s artistic practice is known for its intricate storytelling and philosophical underpinnings, often questioning binary perceptions and embracing fluidity and transformation.

Central to Kwak’s exhibition is the notion of resistance against societal norms and the celebration of individuality. This is vividly portrayed in pieces like “Femmmes (Nic, Toria, Yara)” (2025), a hauntingly beautiful sculpture cast from three nonbinary individuals. Kwak’s technique involves the use of dark resin, liquid silicone, and plaster, capturing the intimate embrace of the subjects and highlighting their fluid identities. The sculpture’s back, adorned with 10,000 rhinestones, faces the wall, symbolizing the unseen but ever-present splendor of marginalized communities.

Kwak’s video work “Uh, As If!” (2014) merges the performative with the personal, presenting a simple yet profound act where a painted hand flicks its wrist. This gesture, loaded with cultural connotations of femininity and queerness, challenges societal norms and becomes a form of personal empowerment. The narrative arc of Kwak’s work not only touches on the aesthetic but also delves deep into the socio-political realms.

A tangible tension of visibility and invisibility permeates Kwak’s exhibits, as seen in “To Refuse Looking Away from Our Transitioning Bodies (Me and My Fat *****)” (2023). This work, cast from a friend’s torso and adorned with luminous rhinestones, confronts the viewer with the intimate and evolving nature of trans bodies. By allowing us to see both sides of the piece, Kwak emphasizes the complexity and reality of transformation—both physically and metaphorically.

The exhibition’s intellectual backbone is strengthened by Kwak’s “Glitter Mani Festo,” a zine that poetically dissects society’s relationship with glitter—a material emblematic of luxury yet often dismissed as mere kitsch. This manifesto resonates with the broader themes of ambiguity and contradiction prevalent throughout Kwak’s work.

“RESISTERHOOD” encourages reflection on the resilience and beauty of nonconforming identities. Through the interplay of shadow, light, and refractive surfaces, Kwak urges audiences to reconsider their preconceptions and appreciate the manifold layers of human existence. The exhibition is a beacon of understanding and a testament to the artist’s ability to blend the personal with the universal in thought-provoking ways.