A skin ball
2012
exfoliated skin collected from my mother and me while scrubbing our backs, archival inkjet print
10x10inch
I grew up in a small town in Korea, a homogeneous country. Every Sunday morning, our family went to the public bath, a Korean ritual. I remember the impressive moment when a collection of naked bodies, ranging from babies to old women, scrubbed and cared for their skin. They helped each other clean their bodies. Even strangers were welcome. My mother and I touched, squeezed, and smelled our bodies. I was confused about whose body was whose. The intimate public bath was packed and no one was ashamed of being naked. Soon, the bodies became one.
All images copyright kyoungeun Kang