- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Denver and help keep the future of Westword free.
As a tech-savvy millennial Renaissance man, recently inducted RedLine resident Juntae TeeJay Hwang commands multiple disciplines, including video, performance, painting, and ceramic and mixed-media sculpture, interweaving them all into integrated visuals and water fountain sculptures informed by craft. Hwang also draws on his South Korean roots, schooling in London and overall global outlook to tell personal stories, all with a cosmopolitan focus. Learn more about the Denver newcomer, fresh from earning his MFA at Columbia, as he answers the Colorado Creatives questionnaire.
Westword: What (or who) is your creative muse?
Juntae TeeJay Hwang: Most of my creative muses have been dictators and martyrs throughout history. Also recently, I am spending lots of time in nature developing a new language through wilderness to deconstruct the notion of post-colonialism in the West and to find a different way to blur identity politics within the current political ecosystem.
Which three people, dead or alive, would you like to invite to your next party, and why?
To my next party, I would like to invite John Cage, Yukio Mishima, Andrei Monastyrski. They are my role models, and I can always learn something from them.
What’s the best thing about the local creative community in your field — and the worst?
I recently moved to Denver from NYC to start my artist residency at RedLine, which runs through the fall of 2020. I have felt so welcomed by all the residents/alumni and board/staff members, who are all focused on positive social change. Denver offers plenty of opportunities for local artists to be involved with exciting projects and future collaborations.
How about globally?
I have already seen plenty of international artists exhibit work in Denver. I think art is already global, and Denver is an emerging global hub that facilitates this well.
What’s your dream project?
My dream project is to build my own artist’s house and turn it into a museum.
You’ve come this far in life. What’s still on your bucket list?
I have fallen in love with the wild again, so I must conquer a fourteener mountain next year! Also, a retrospective show in Seoul, South Korea.
If you died tomorrow, what or whom would you come back as?
If I died tomorrow, I will still come back as my mom’s baby.
Who is your favorite Colorado Creative?
Secret Love Collective, Studio SML/k, Gildar Gallery.
What's on your agenda in the coming year?
My agenda in 2019 is to keep producing my new body of work. TeeJay’s 2019 S/S and 2019 F/W Art Collections will be made and shown. I also wish to make a public water fountain piece in Denver.
Who do you think will (or should) get noticed in the local arts community in the coming year?
I love all the current artists-in-residence at RedLine. There is always something new going on, and I hope that everyone will visit RedLine more often, as the artists’ studios are always open to visitors to explore.
Learn more about Juntae TeeJay Hwang online at the RedLine website and on instagram @juntaeteejay.