Biography

Kacy Jung, who immigrated to the US from Taiwan, was halfway through a Ph.D. in biomedical science when she decided to walk out of the laboratory to pursue her lifetime dream of being an artist. Since then, through photography, photo-based sculpture, and field study, she continuously investigates the ways in which culture is shaped by capitalism and explores the idea of existentialism within the late capitalist era. The subject intertwines with the manipulative nature of the capitalist system, the anxiety of being part of the disappearing middle class, and her immigrant experience in the USA. 

Kacy is an acceptant of the Harlan Jackson Diversity Scholarship from the San Francisco Art Institute, Ox-Bow School of Art Long Form Residency, Headlands Center for the Arts Affiliate Artist Program, as well as a studio artist at Root Division. Kacy’s works have been featured in publications such as USA Today, Cultured Magazine, Forbes, and Inquire. Her works are also shown at the SOMArts, Berkeley Art Museum, De Young Museum in San Francisco, Hastings College in Nebraska, and multiple galleries or private collections in the UK, USA, and Taiwan.

Kacy has an MFA in photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. Most recently, Jung is a nominee for the 2023 SECA Art Award at SFMOMA. She currently works and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, USA.

Statement

Through a combination of journalism (field study) and a fine art approach (photography, printable fabric, and photo-based sculpture), I investigate the harmful social norms that result from the manipulative nature of capitalist thinking and existentialism in our modern capitalist era. The subject intertwines with my immigration experiences in the USA, my career change into art, and the pressure of being part of the disappearing middle class. 

I use my fabric to represent the negotiation between individuals and society. With the combination of digital photography, mesh-like printable fabric, and plaster, I create a novel visual language that represents this distorted eco-political system and reflects the downside of specialization and alienation on a personal level.