Yi Sa-Ra
Bio: Yi Sa-Ra (born Seoul, South Korea) is a video artist and filmmaker working between Seoul and New York. She holds an MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts (2020) and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design (2011). She also attended the Yale Summer School of Art and Music in Norfolk (2010). Yi has received grants and awards from AHL Foundation, New York, and JoongAng Ilbo Culture Media, Seoul, among others. Her work has been exhibited and screened in South Korea, Japan and the U.S.
Thesis Exhibition
when stretched too thin
14:12 min
Clinch
8:26 min
Artist Statement: My work navigates shifting perspectives around personal experiences, defining their place in our societal moment. Addressing issues both intimate and societal, I produce videos and films about memory, trauma, agency and relationships. My process consists of multiple stages. It starts out open-ended as I follow my curiosity, collecting information related to firsthand experiences: sound recording my daily life and conducting video interviews. On a large piece of paper, I then diagram complex maps of ideas outlining and contextualizing the information I gather, which later evolves into storyboards and scripts for my videos.
My current video series, including Clinch and when stretched too thin, consists of short films told from the perspective of temporary female immigrants. As the characters are confronted with the difficulties of immigration, unemployment, and alienation, the work details the psychological effects brought upon by the current economic landscape in the U.S.
L to R: Clinch (8:53 minutes, Single-channel video, 2021); When stretched too thin (14:28 minutes, Single-channel video, 2021); When stretched too thin (still images), (14:28 minutes, Single-channel video, 2021);
