Jun Yang draws inspiration from his experiences as a queer immigrant, as well as the journey of navigating cultural differences and learning to express his queer identity without fear.

Time spent in Belgium, France, and Ireland shaped Jun into a global citizen, at the same time enabling him to safely explore his queerness in the company of new and wonderful friends. Discovering the ubiquitous nature of love and hate, he came to realize that much of the pain he experienced in the past actually originated from within. By combining traditional Korean designs with contemporary western art influences, Jun’s works connect with personal memories, emotions, and the resilient energies that pulsate within immigrant, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC communities around the world.

Living in an open-minded and welcoming city like San Francisco has privileged Jun with the chance to create art without social constraints. Despite enduring struggles with online censorship, the support and acceptance he has found there continues to fuel his creativity and guide his understanding of identity and belonging as a transnational artist. Through his large-scale paintings, he depicts moments of connection with his chosen family and artist friends in San Francisco’s many beautiful parks. These spaces, which were once secret havens where Queer individuals could explore their love and sexuality, now inspire a vision where bodies intertwine, connect, heal, confidently take up space, and express themselves securely and unapologetically in the light of day.

Jun also strives to balance his heritage with his current life, untangling feelings of loneliness, recovering from pain, and finding himself anew. Through his three-dimensional wood cut and soft sculptures (such as “Faces” and “Torso Hugging Oneself”), he visualizes a sense of loneliness and fear tracing back to his teenage life in Korea. These pieces act as a bridge between past traumas and adulthood in the present, contending with the lack of role models, bullying, harassment, and physical abuse by educators and peers that severely marked Jun’s childhood. Designed to hang on walls or be displayed on podiums, his sculptures activate a multisensory contact zone that invites viewers to wrap their bodies around in spontaneous shows of solidarity.

Using textiles, acrylic ink stained on canvases or muslin, and oil-based materials, Jun creates depth in a way that puts the intricate emotional and cultural layers that defined him at center stage. His sculptures are tender and soft, contrasting with hard materials such as metal and bronze traditionally used in sculpture making. Subverting the harsh and personally unrelatable masculinity of typical sculptures, he paints and sews directly onto softer materials to create a more tactile and welcoming experience. To reflect his personal resurgence as an artist, he also uses cardboard boxes, transforming discarded materials into containers of hope and giving them a second chance at life. Additionally, Jun uses calligraphy techniques and traditional Korean colors like those in Dancheong or Bojagi to create a visual language that resonates with both personal and collective experiences. Through these methods, he aims to reach a new generation of Queer teenagers, incentivizing them to feel more connected, rejuvenated, and at liberty to be and flaunt their authentic selves.

The Quiet Hour (2024). Acrylic on Canvas. 50.8 x 50.8cm.

Soulful Garden (2024). Acrylic on Canvas. 76.2 x 76.2cm.

Transitions (2023). Acrylic on Canvas. 76.2 x 101.6cm.

Here & Now (2024). Acrylic on Canvas. 177.8 x 152.4 cm.

Discover more of Jun’s works in Issue 5 of our magazine!