Daejeon Arts Collective returns to in-person exhibit

An illustration from Kevin Nickolai's Graphic Novella / Courtesy of the Daejeon Arts Collective

By Jon Dunbar

The Daejeon Arts Collective (DJAC) is opening its new exhibit, titled "Semblance of Dreams," on April 15 for five days at Daejeon Gallery.

"We, as a collective, showcase a wide diversity of media in art, as well as people from different backgrounds. The mixture of both foreign and Korean artists working together, I feel, is priceless," said Christopher Maslon, DJAC president. "It is very common to hear of how many new friendships are forged at this event."

The event will showcase 16 of Daejeon's international and domestic artists sharing their photography, paintings, pottery, upcycled wooden pieces and sound art.

Members of the Daejeon Arts Collective / Courtesy of the Daejeon Arts Collective

Wil Pertz will offer an installation with six-channel surround sound, while I.F. Haddock will showcase some of his upcycled, wooden wall pieces, Jin Jung will showcase her unique pottery and Sunsook Han will contribute watercolors and cold press paper, among many others.

"It has been an honor to present my work alongside some of the more well-known artists who have their own studios in town, some who are sponsored by the Korean government, some who are in Korea doing artists residencies, as well as those teaching and mentoring others in their mediums," said Alla Ponomareva, a founding member of the DJAC originally from Odessa, Ukraine. "I think this collaborative effort also serves as a stepping stone or a lesson to younger artists who are eager to step into the realm of exhibiting and showing their work. Networking in the art world is just as important as in any other industry, because it helps us to open doors, motivate and grow."

Sunsook Han's "Mother" / Courtesy of the Daejeon Arts Collective

Normally the DJAC hosts spring and fall showcases, but last year the members had to move their activities online to prevent the spread of COVID-19, taking part in the Social Distancing Festival, an international project to host art exhibitions while physical galleries were closed.

"I really enjoyed taking part in my first online exhibition last spring, when the in-person space was closed due to COVID-19," Ponomavera said. "The effort showed how innovative and driven we are as artists, creative and hobbyists. While none of us makes a full-time living creating art, we're still inspired to stay on track, innovate and produce, despite the pandemic, galleries being closed or members changing."

Paul Fortunato's "AQUAMETAL" / Courtesy of the Daejeon Arts Collective

AC Parsons, a photographer and the DJAC vice president, said that the pandemic has limited his ability to explore outside Daejeon. But he added, "It has led to me looking closer at the city, finding new subjects to photograph, and different ways to document Daejeon."

With a renewed focus on Daejeon, he started the Sojae Project, focused on Sojae-dong, one of Daejeon's oldest areas, documenting its history and unique urban texture.

"I feel that the pandemic has given us more time to focus on our artisanship and to explore new avenues to create and show our work."

"T-Wrecks," by photographer AC Parsons, visualizes a dinosaur's skull in demolition equipment. / Courtesy of Daejeon Arts Collective

He said he stepped outside his comfort zone for this exhibit by switching from digital and experimenting with film cameras.

"Each city in Korea has its own character. Daejeon is a mix of beautiful nature, tradition, and continuous development. I would say that Daejeon has the potential to be very influential for an artist," Parsons said.

Ponomareva has been with the DJAC since it came together in 2011 and Parsons joined a couple years after. While the other original members have moved on, as is frequently the life of expats in Korea, Ponomareva says that this state of flux has only helped the community grow, both within the city and around the world.

"Living abroad definitely has created a very depressing, transient atmosphere in our lives, because at one point, a lot of people that we meet here will leave," she said. "On the other hand, this ever-changing life prepares us to be more comfortable with change, and I honestly look forward to meeting my friends halfway across the world. Can you imagine how much anticipation and happiness a trip like that brings? You also have a place to crash!"

Christopher Maslon's "Collective Monster Nightmare" / Courtesy of the Daejeon Arts Collective

In the future, Maslon hopes to increase the DJAC's art exposure across Korea, especially in Seoul, and possibly overseas as well, as well as put the members' work up for auction. He also eyes the expansion of the collective's membership.

"We are currently at 24 members, which is a strong number for a city like Daejeon. Hopefully, we will attract even more Korean members who are eager to work with foreigners, and expand their art experiences as well as their portfolios," he said.

"One area I would like to see for all of us at the DJAC is to have another 'home' base gallery that we can show at. We had a gallery once that served as a home base for a year. Because of Daejeon's many new building projects, that space is now a new apartment complex. My hope is we can have a future DJAC Collective Studio Workspace someday, as well as another permanent gallery again in Daejeon."

Chetan Bhogal's "interconnected" / Courtesy of the Daejeon Arts Collective

The DJAC Semblances of Dreams exhibit runs from April 15 to 20 at Daejeon Gallery. Visit djartsco.org or fb.com/DaejeonArtsCollective for more information.