about Yaerin Kweon (they/them)

That self-connection shared is a measure of the joy which I know myself to be capable of feeling, a reminder of my capacity for feeling.

And that deep and irreplaceable knowledge of my capacity for joy comes to demand from all of my life that it be lived within the knowledge that such satisfaction is possible…

— Audre Lorde, Uses of the Erotic

I am a biologically-inspired, creative human emerging from the liminal space between the Korean peninsula and the US imperial empire, in the continuous process of better knowing myself.

I am an ex-scientist, ex-addict, and survivor of sexual assault and multiple suicide attempts.

Having been blessed with a high degree of sensitivity and generational roots of wounding from my Korean ancestors who faced imperial violence, I find great meaning in transmuting the pain of the human experience into creative expression.

Similarly, I find deep empowerment in surrendering to the cyclical processes of shedding skin, giving death, and rebirthing anew.

My formal creative practice explores themes such as:
integration of the shadow, queer femininity, Korean cultural identity,
connection to the Earth and Divine Life,
and the nondual spiritual tradition.

I work in mediums encompassing painting, drawing, design, animation, movement, digital illustration, video, language, and more.

I graduated summa cum laude
from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in 2022 double majoring in Biology with honors and Fine Arts.

I carry a scientific background
and have previously studied and worked within a Neurosurgery and Bioengineering lab, as well as a Dermatology and Ophthalmology lab, both at my alma mater at Penn.