Artist
Dina Jin Bae
@dinajinbae
Dina Jin Bae (디나진 배) is an artist with a development of over 200 K-beauty cosmetics, demonstrating an understanding of colours, complexions and hues. In her paintings and installations, she observe and question the small gestures made in daily life using colour pigments, oil, wax, and expired makeup products. Her practice pushes against boundaries of the artificial and the natural, surface and depth, true-self and non-self. These actions question the boundaries that exist within opposing elements of contemporary life.
Q1. What inspires the artist?
Dina is inspired by moments where objects and bodies intersect in daily life, such as applying cream or pigment to the skin. These actions merge substance with the body, revealing hidden meanings and emotions in daily rituals. Makeup, symbolising self-loss and discovery, transforms daily routines into meaningful gestures. Childhood memories of applying lipstick evoke the sensation of velvety wax, akin to the ritual of enhancing facial features with colours and lights.
Q2. What does being a female artist mean?
Dina views being a woman as one of the many elements that constitute her identity. It is not only a part of her but also a universal element that shapes the world. She wishes to perceive womanhood not merely as a biological gender but as a form of femininity inherent in all of us. She aspires for her inner masculinity and femininity to coexist harmoniously, manifesting appropriately in different contexts. However, due to experiences of distortion and repression while growing up, she still finds it challenging to express her natural femininity freely. Her work aims to naturally and authentically express this femininity, and to openly reveal the internal processes of resistance and acceptance that accompany it.
Q3. How does Korean culture influence artist's art?
Dina, as a cosmetics developer in Korea, has explored the rigorous and disciplined aesthetic consciousness in daily lives. The intricate and lengthy skincare routines that epitomize K-beauty, akin to the tradition of maintaining clean and neat clothing even in harsh conditions, reflect the Korean emphasis on strict and restrained hygiene. This beauty routine is deeply connected to their cultural heritage. It serves as a sacred and meditative ritual to begin or end the day, and also as a physical assertion of a strong ego resisting internal and external pressures to alter one's image.
Q4. Who are the female artist role models, and why?
Dina has been greatly influenced by Eva Hesse, who delved deeply into materiality to evoke profound inner emotions. Hesse's work with latex is powerful and organic, courageously revealing vulnerability. Dina Jin Bae aims to view the materiality she has mastered over the past ten years with a bolder and fresher perspective, seeking to connect the moments of her daily life with the broader tapestry of her existence.
Q5. What projects are currently being worked on?
Dina Jin Bae is currently researching the colour orange, which is commonly used in cosmetics and facial products. This study involves large-scale paintings over 160 cm long. The orange colour symbolises a healthy complexion, radiant sunlight, and the Manipura Chakra, which is associated with self and self-esteem. Dina is investigating the use of the orange colour in works by Frederic Leighton and Mark Rothko. She also aims to express the act of makeup on canvas. Her process involves experimental painting with
makeup materials and tools, like silicone puffs and powder brushes.
Weight of Unspoken Things, 2024
Skincare patches, pigments, oil and wax on linen mounted on wood, 30 x 30 cm
In Dina’s painting, the two figures exist seemingly intertwined, yet in parallel and isolated spaces. This composition represents purposeless action and duality beyond mere ambiguity. Drawing upon the inspiration from Buddhist philosophy, this duality aims to reconsider the various aspects of our conscious and subconscious routines. From that perspective, Dina seeks to artistically reinterpret a repetitive mundane ritual, such as the act of applying and removing makeup. Each figure in her painting embodies oneself and others, ultimately symbolising all of human beings.