the side effects of red brick walls
Sarah Jihae Kaye, These are the Eggshells I walk on, 2022, performance | Photo: Kailee Fennel
Sarah Jihae Kaye
Project Room
September 12–November 25, 2023
Throughout the fall term, 4th year Bachelor of Fine Art student Sarah Jihae Kaye will use the Project Room as a performance art incubator and installation space to develop her artistic practice. Starting with an artwork in its fourth iteration, Eggshells, Kaye will move into experimental territory, exploring the medium of performance guided by her research interests. Visitors can expect to interact with the artist during scheduled programming including a series of public performances and an interview with UG staff.
ARTIST STATEMENT
In the fourth iteration of the Eggshells performance series, Sarah Jihae Kaye dives deeper into domestic settings and physically realizes the metaphorical expression “walking on eggshells.” The artist opts to transform the chosen performance space into an installation, turning each location into an active participant in the unfolding narrative.
The Eggshells project finds the intersection between pain, care, and resilience through emotional exploration. Symbolically, eggs represent not only fragility but also the potential for renewal and transformation. It serves as a poignant reminder of the arts' capacity to illuminate the profound depths of personal and collective narratives. Through the realization of the metaphor, the interactive nature of the work, and the fragility of eggshells, Kaye invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of domestic relationships and the delicate balance of navigating such tumultuous terrain in this ongoing exploration.
While Kaye's art remains deeply personal, the influence of artists like Maddie + Racquel inspires the collaborative approach, blurring the lines that connect the creator and observer within the work. These performances invite audiences to ponder fundamental questions and explore how the act of navigating delicate eggshells mirrors the complexities of everyday existence, as observed through the lens of performance art. Audiences are encouraged to actively engage with the artistic process, whether through observation of the performances, participation in workshops, or donating eggshells.
BIOGRAPHY
Sarah Jihae Kaye (b. 2002) is a traditional and interdisciplinary artist based in Katarokwi/Kingston currently working towards her BFA (Honours), BEd, and minor in Geography at Queen’s University.
As a Korean-Canadian woman, her work illustrates themes of loneliness and displacement, and abstract representations of self. Kaye specializes in performance, printmaking, and sculpture to investigate the body’s capability of storing memory, and its physical limits. Through introspection, She unravels narratives of lived experiences, translating personal moments into a shared encounter that invites viewers to delve into their own perceptions of solace.