Don't Leave Me Hanging by Yesum Yoon - Interview

Yesum Yoon

Don’t Leave Me Hanging

Yesum Yoon is a South Korean artist who creates creature-like sculptures. After finishing two bachelor's degrees in fine arts in Seoul, she came to The Netherlands for her master's degree in social design at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Her works often create a visual story of her imaginary landscapes. (CV — Yesum Yoon, n.d.)

Could you tell us a little about your “Don’t Leave Me Hanging” project?

Don’t Leave Me Hanging shows a landscape of what I think pills would look like if they would dissolve into the ground and grow into something new. It portrays people’s desperate efforts to connect, belong, and not be left hanging. The project is about the empty promises that over-the-counter and nutraceutical pills make about creating a better life.

What was your inspiration to start this project?

I got inspired to create this project when I found so many pills around my house. They were all out of date and it made me think. Why do I need all these quick fixes? I had pills for nutrition, for fatigue, for everything. There was a time I took 15 pills a day.

What is the reason you hung the pills into chains?

The reason I hung those pills in chains is to show how they have been restrained. They are hanging from the ceiling because they are climbing and trying to reach the desires that we are looking for in these pills.

What is your favorite piece from this collection?

My favorite piece is currently the yellow one but this might be because I really want to sit and you can sit on it. Though, this changes all the time.

The reason this design fits with our trend “Independent Well-being” is that it is a piece of critique to use these pharmaceutical pills as quick fixes to give you a better life. They leave you hanging with empty promises. People are now starting to think for themselves and become very selective about what is good for their well-being, instead of just listening to what every big company tells them.

You can find more from Yesum Yoon at www.yesumyoon.com and @yesumyesum on Instagram.

CV — yesum yoon. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://yesumyoon.com/CV