I have watched 550 Korean dramas, and I have probably cried at some point during every one.
Perhaps even more amazing to me is the fact that I am far from alone.
Since South Korea opened itself to the global market in the late 1980s, its popular culture has taken the world by storm. Though initially drawn in by the dramas, I quickly found myself captivated by South Korea more broadly. Please Come In is an invitation to experience this pull, rooted in my understanding of how South Koreans create and value community, communal pleasure, and shared emotional experience—which, for me, stands in stark contrast to the fragmented, individual-centered tendencies at the heart of contemporary American culture.
Visit Seoul, and multilingual signs inform visitors of social expectations: “Quiet. Residential neighborhood.” The request is sweetly delivered by a smiling, cartoon-like figure. “Rent Me,” reads another sign in front of a shop renting traditional Korean attire. These messages function as invitations to participate. In contrast to the rigor of Korean beauty standards and the competitive work and school environments, the imperfect nature of the city itself suggests that one can enjoy smaller pleasures and feel safe and welcome without the need for perfection.
These shadow boxes serve as an entry into Korean cities as I experience them—old and new, imperfect, alive, and inviting. Each setting is a composite of two images: one reflecting tradition and living history, the other Korea’s more modern, international face. Standing in each box is an acrylic figure—either individuals dressed in hanbok or life-size statues of mascots found throughout the city. The symbols carry a warm presence and, reproduced here as inexpensive collectibles, offer viewers a bridge into the embrace of community. In American politics, life is often presented as a zero-sum game. I offer these shadow boxes as both a challenge and a question: can we find a way to cherish community and the individual simultaneously?
About Diana Cheren Nygren
Diana Cheren Nygren (Boston, MA) is a photo-based artist whose work explores the landscape as a setting for human activity. She holds a BA and an MA in Art History. Her practice is driven by a commitment to the power of visual culture to influence social change, addressing complex questions through invention and humor.
Her project When the Trees Are Gone has been featured in numerous publications and exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. Awards for this project include Discovery of the Year at the 2020 Tokyo International Foto Awards and Second Place in Fine Art/Collage at the 2020 International Photo Awards, as well as finalist recognitions for Fresh2020, Urban2020, the Hopper Prize, and OpenImage Barcelona.
The project The Persistence of Family has also been exhibited internationally and received a LensCulture Critics’ Choice Award, the Best New Talent award at the 2021 Prix de la Photographie, Best of Show at the 2021 London International Creative Competition, and Second Place at the International Photo Awards, in addition to appearing in numerous publications. In spring 2022, The Persistence of Family was presented in solo exhibitions at the SoHo Photo Gallery and the CICA Museum in Gimpo, South Korea, and in October 2024 it was exhibited in Singapore. [Official Website]
