Author:  David Ward
Date:  09/29/2009

Hancock Park resident Debbie Han elegantly blends ancient Korean techniques with Greek subjects in Hybrid Graces. The photographs and sculptures comment on Korea’s infatuation with Western beauty which the artist traces to the Venus de Milo. While working in Korea discovered that nearly 76% of Koreans under the age of 40 have had plastic surgery to look more “western.”

Han’s oversized photographs blend the head of the Venus de Milo with the bodies of real Korean models engaged in common Korean poses. Han’s process is so refined that the figures take on a timeless quality, but there is a disconnect between the bodies and heads belying the true message of the work. Sculptures nearby draw on ancient delicate Korean porcelain traditions and incorporate facial features associated with various ethnicities onto the face of the Venus de Milo. These features seem stand out as flaws in an otherwise beautiful face.

Debbie Han’s Hybrid Graces continues through October 30 at LA Contemporary, 2634 S La Cienega Blvd, Culver City