Artist Talk: Stray Gravity w/ Yooyeon Nam
Artist Talk with Yooyeon Nam
Join artist Yooyeon Nam for a conversation about her solo exhibition, Stray Gravity, and the ideas, characters, and artistic process behind her newest body of work.
In Stray Gravity, Nam explores the many ways people are connected - from intimate relationships and shared memories to quiet forms of empathy between strangers, across generations and through history. Her paintings bring together interconnected figures and layered scenes that reflect how individual experiences can ripple outward into collective memory.
Nam’s distinctive figures, inspired in part by the serene forms of traditional Korean Buddhist sculpture, invite viewers to consider vulnerability, difference, and solidarity. Through her use of oil paint, textured surfaces, vibrant colors, and densely layered compositions, she creates a visual world where even moments of stillness or isolation suggest relationships that extend beyond the frame.
During the artist talk, Nam will share more about her creative practice, her approach to painting and character-making, and the inspiration behind Stray Gravity. This is an opportunity to hear directly from the artist, learn more about her work, and engage in conversation about connection, memory, and the unseen threads that bring us together.
Exhibition Schedule:
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.