Maria – The Korean Bride

Maria is a Korean-born artist who lives and works in New York City. She holds a BFA from Cooper Union. Maria is also a Contractual Senior Educator/Consultant for the Education Department at various museums in New York City.

Maria’s work has gradually evolved into the creation of installation and performance, which combine various elements such as photography, collage, drawings and video.

Since 2001 to the present, Maria has begun working on a new series entitled “Maria the Korean Bride”. It is a multi-media performance designed to bring attention to the social pressure that Maria has endured as a first generation Korean-American unmarried woman.

“Maria the Korean Bride” has been funded in part by the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, NYC Cultural Affairs, Asian Women Giving Circle and Franklin Furnace to name a few. Her on-going journey across America has received much attention especially with Koreans and other Asian American communities in New York, as well as institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is one of their annual guest lecturers and performance artists. For more information please visit Maria the Korean Bride.

ASIANCE: Maria, thank you for the interview. I must tell you I am personally thrilled to be talking to you. I think “Maria, the Korean Bride” is brilliant. For those who may not know your work, can you explain?

Maria: “Maria the Korean Bride” is about exploring what marriage means in America. Having a dialogue and conversation with others about what marriage means to them. I investigate this subject by adding a wedding performance as I am dressed in my Korean bridal garb, Hanbok.

ASIANCE: I know in Japan that women are referred to as Christmas cakes because if they surpass the 25th (Christmas day or their birthday), they’ll be difficult to dispose of. Is it the same in Korea?

Maria: Yes, although many women are now getting later in life because they are better educated and thereby more self-sufficient. Still at the end, parental and societal expectations and pressures are hard to dismiss.

ASIANCE: Maria, the Korean Bride just celebrated its 50th and final marriage in New York’s Times Square. Each of your marriages took place in a different state. Did you have a favorite?

Maria: My favorites are in Wyoming and New York City. My Wyoming wedding was embraced by an overwhelming amount of community involvement. Over 300 attended and they threw me a wedding reception with a gift. My hometown New York wedding was more of a grand finale celebration. It did not feel like a wedding at all.

ASIANCE: Did you encounter anyone or anyplace which made it difficult for you to perform?

Maria: In Milwaukee, Wisconsin I first experienced challenge due to my racial background. After obtaining a permit to perform at the Miller Brewery Company, the supervisor on duty would not allow me to perform there and asked me to go back to my country, which is difficult because I am a US citizen. It was a heartbreaking situation, leading me to marry a Miller Light T-Shirt in front of the factory.

ASIANCE: How difficult was it to stage each wedding?

Maria: It really varies from state to state. Often, I try to coordinate 2-3 months prior to. Finding various participants took the longest time to coordinate. Once a groom and reverend were in place, it was easier to find a wedding venue and reception. If no participants are lined up, upon arriving asking a complete stranger to help has been most successful and surprising. For example, I might find a local bartender, asking him or her to assist me in finding a groom after having a beer or two. Attending a Sunday mass to find a reverend to participate has always been challenging…etc.

ASIANCE: You have said that it was important to you that you finished your project before you turned 40. Why was that important to you?

Maria: Finishing this project prior to being 40 was more of a deadline than anything else.

ASIANCE: What has the reception been like to your performances by both the Asian and non-Asian communities?

Maria: Unfortunately, more so than not this project has been easily misunderstood. I don’t think most folks realize that this is purely an art project. Some are quick to accuse me of 50 alimony checks and 50 honeymoons from 50 states. Certainly more reason why I need to complete my feature documentary to share my story. However, there are those fans out there willing and ready to defend me…

ASIANCE: For your 50th wedding event your parents were in attendance. What did they say after the event was over?

Maria: Unfortunately, my parents actually missed my 50th wedding in Times Square. However, they made it to the reception party after. My mother was especially proud, stating that my work was like the different shades of rainbow, with all of the states coming together in joining the dialogue of what marriage means to them. As for my dad, it hasn’t changed much…

ASIANCE: Now that it is over, you plan on making it into a documentary. How is this progressing?

Maria: I am currently in the planning stage of my documentary. This includes the drafting of the story, interviewing sound editors, music composers and fundraising. If anyone is interested in taking part in this project please write me at info@mariathekoreanbride.com

ASIANCE: You also work with many other types of media including soft sculpture, photography and video. What are some of your favorite past projects?

Maria: It was in 2006 that I was selected to be in a group exhibition at the Henry Street Settlement in Lower East Side of Manhattan. The show was based on a termed used by public historians, “a usable past”. It suggests how contemporary conditions can be interpreted by drawing on history and the past. This gave me an idea to create Spoonful, an outdoor installation art specifically made for the exhibition. I created three, 3-foot square pyramids of raw building materials such as dirt, sand, stone, brick, and wood. I enjoyed the process of interacting and having a dialogue with the folks around the neighborhood who played an important part of the execution.

ASIANCE: You were originally born in Korea. When did you come to the states?

Maria: Late 70’s.

ASIANCE: When did you find your interests in the arts and what is it you wanted to do when you were young?

Maria: I was about seven years old. My mother had asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I am most happiest when I am drawing or painting. I guess I knew then I was always meant to be an artist.

ASIANCE: Are there any artists that you find inspiring?

Maria: Christo, Andy Warhol and Angelina Jolie. I enjoy the scale of their projects.

ASIANCE: What do you think about the roles that Asian-American women play in the arts? Has it been a growing group in your opinion?

Maria: Unfortunately, I don’t see that many Asian-American women presence in the arts. Margaret Cho seems to be the latest icon anyone could think of… We still have a long way to go but America is still a land of opportunity for sure.

ASIANCE: Do you have any advice for up and coming artists?

Maria: Listen to your inner self. Don’t be afraid to follow your heart.

ASIANCE: What is next for you? Where do you hope to go and what do you plan to do in the future?

Maria: Continue to communicate with people through my art. The more people I touch in this way the more successful I will feel. Perhaps another documentary awaits me…

For More information please visit:
www.mariathekoreanbride.com
info@mariathekoreanbride.com