Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Lucky Face
Lucky Face

Lucky Face

Artist Jiha Moon b. Korea, 1973
Place of OriginAtlanta, Georgia, United States; Atlanta, Georgia
Date2021
CultureKorean, Korean American, American, woman artist
MaterialsEarthenware with glaze and underglaze decoration, and synthetic hair
DimensionsH. 12 3/4 in × W. 9 1/2 in × D. 4 1/2 in, H. 32.4 cm × W. 24.1 cm × D. 11.4 cm
Credit LineMuseum purchase, Forrest S. Mortimer and Stuart M. Harvey Fund for the Acquisition and Conservation of Asian Art
Object number2022.101
DepartmentContemporary Art
ClassificationsCeramics
On View
Not on view
Text Entries

Jiha Moon does not shy away from jumbling up recognizable images with a twist of humor. She unapologetically takes cues from folk art, shamanism, and pop culture, and carefully juxtaposes them to create her own visual language that speaks to the immigrant experience.

Here, a monstrous creature evocative of a Korean tiger or a Foo dog is adorned with banana hair and lemon horns. Below the figure appears the word “yellow,” and a closer look reveals that each letter is written in a calligraphic style, incorporating Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Apart from pointing to artists like Andy Warhol, the color yellow and the image of the banana also imply xenophobic slurs against Asians and Asian Americans.