Yooyeon Nam Solo Exhibition: Stray Gravity
Stray Gravity - Yooyeon Nam Solo Exhibition
In Stray Gravity, Yooyeon Nam expands her practice into multi-figure compositions through her original characters, tracing a broad spectrum of human connections: from immediate, intimate relationships to a quiet empathy for unknown strangers across history. Through dense, interconnected scenes, Nam maps chain-like human networks, depicting how individual affect and shared memories ripple across personal lives and collective experience.
Central to her visual language are noseless, expressionless figures inspired by the serene forms of traditional Korean Buddhist sculpture. Where wings appear on these characters, they function not as symbols of divinity or heroic salvation, but as markers of ordinary difference; their winged forms embody raw human vulnerability and a conscious, ongoing effort toward solidarity. Even in works featuring only a single figure or pair, the emotional resonance expands far beyond personal isolation. A subtle bond or a quiet stillness becomes an echo chamber for what remains outside the frame: lost times, unwritten histories, and the weight of an absent presence, along with forgotten memories.
This thematic depth is rooted in Nam’s tactile relationship with her medium. Working in oil on gritty pastel grounds with long-haired Egbert brushes, she engages in a physical negotiation with the canvas - a delicate balance between gestural spontaneity and structured control. Coupled with a vibrant, high-chroma palette and dense spatial layering, Nam’s paintings refuse passive comfort, inviting viewers to inhabit the subtle tensions of connection and recognize the invisible threads that bind us across time and space.
Opening Reception: Sat, Sep 19, 1–5pm Artist Talk: Sat, Sep 26, 2–4pm Closing: Sun, Sep 27, 1–5pm Gallery Hours: Sat–Sun 11am–5pm / Mon–Fri by appointment
About the Artist in Residence
Yooyeon Nam is an oil painter whose original characters, round-faced, expressive, and unsettling, explore the psychological landscape of migration, displacement, and outsider experience. Her work draws on Korean artistic traditions while engaging with the surreal and the absurd to capture what it feels like to navigate a new world. At Governors Island, she is developing The Alien Multitude, a monumental multi-figure painting exploring immigrant solidarity and collective resilience. yooyeon_nam
How to get to Governors Island?
Ferry Location:
Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 6), or Red Hook/Atlantic Basin
The ferry runs every 30 minutes. You can check the ferry schedule here.
Our House
NWNY's house is located at: 410A, Colonels Row
Once you get off the ferry, walk toward the QC Spa and continue following the street. Our house is the first house on the left.
A Day on Governors Island
There will be many other artist residency spaces and events happening throughout the island, and we encourage you to explore and visit other spaces as part of your day.
We also recommend bringing a reusable water bottle, as there are water refill stations throughout the island.
There are several restaurants and food vendors on Governors Island, as well as beautiful green areas perfect for walking, relaxing, or having a picnic. You are also welcome to bring your own food or snacks if you prefer.