The Korean artist Woo Hannah has created a large-scale installation for Frieze Seoul, after being named the winner of the inaugural Artist Award.
Her piece, titled The Great Ballroom, is suspended from the ceiling of the Coex exhibition centre. The draped fabrics evoke the shape of women’s breasts; the work is part of a series called Milk and Honey, which represents the different stages of a women’s body during breastfeeding.
Woo Hannah, Milk and Honey 5, 2023. To be shown as part of The Great Ballroom
Courtesy of the artist. Photo by LEE Seungheon
Mirroring similar projects at the other Frieze fairs, the award is intended to provide "invaluable support and significant international visibility for an artist in the early stages of their career", says the director of Frieze Seoul, Patrick Lee. “The jury strongly endorsed Woo Hannah for her captivating fabric installations, which thoughtfully examine femininity and invert the traditions of sculpture.”
Woo Hannah was born in Daejeon in 1988 and studied at the School of Visual Arts, Korea National University of Arts. She has recently exhibited at Art Sonje Center in Seoul and at Frieze’s gallery on Cork Street, London.