Gina You Jin Jeong- Artist, Art Therapist

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I am drawn to objects, people, and places that document or hold within memories and fragments of the intangible past. I follow the traces and marks that these objects, people, and places have left and connect them to recreate personal and collective memories. Reflecting on the absence and reminiscing on the past, I create art incorporating different senses such as sound, touch, and smell.

 

My art practice in many ways inform my art therapy practice. Much like finding connections between subject matters, I seek to build relationships and connections with the people I work with. With a person-centered and strengths-based approach, I see myself as a partner in the therapeutic relationship. I value people’s lived experiences and endeavor to meet them where they are at. 

 

I believe that art is deeply embedded in our everyday life. Engaging in conversations, breathing, eating, walking, laughing, reminiscing, spending time together are all a form of art for me. I seek ways to dismantle the hierarchy of art so that it is more accessible and less anxiety provoking for people. This way of thinking has guided me throughout my art therapy practice and continues to do so.

 

Gina You Jin, Jeong is a Korean artist and art therapist based in Chicago, IL. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy and Counseling at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Her work explores memories and reflects on the absence within the presence. Her main source of inspiration comes from personal and collective memories. Through these she creates paper, pulp objects, embroidery, paintings, short videos, and prints. By revisiting memories from the past, she brings back elements of smell, sound, and touch to embark on her own exploration to recreate an intimate space.