I Am Sun Mu 

Curator: Before us is "I Am Sun Mu," an acrylic painting. The artist, who goes by the pseudonym Sun Mu, is a North Korean defector. Editor: It's immediately striking how the flatness of the background colors clashes with the attempt at realism in the figure. The figure seems to almost float in front of the backdrop of blue and red. Curator: The symbolism here is complex. We see what appears to be a portrait of Kim Jong-Il saluting against the North Korean flag, yet, remember, it is Sun Mu himself representing that figure. This could signify many things: internal conflict, defiance, identity play. Editor: The brushwork is loose but deliberate. See the vertical strokes in the blue section—they don't try to hide the process of painting. It's almost like a stage set. I feel like that directs the gaze not only at the composition, but at the work that had to go into its arrangement. Curator: It reminds us of propaganda portraiture. But that's just the surface, it references our collective, historical awareness of power structures. Propaganda art, often seen in communist states, is traditionally used to glorify leaders. And yet Sun Mu lived the real consequences of living in this regime. This raises several questions about freedom, personal trauma, and artistic expression. Editor: Notice the details, like the glint of the glasses and the precisely placed hand. There is the clear intent of naturalism in these parts. The contrast amplifies a tension that extends beyond political symbolism and into an internal, more individualized study of power and, really, performance. The formal structure serves that quite well. Curator: This act of impersonation through self-portraiture is also really fascinating and challenging. By inserting himself, Sun Mu reframes not just the image, but the very notion of North Korean leadership. In a way, Sun Mu seizes that authoritarian space for the creation of himself. Editor: Precisely, it takes familiar imagery and turns it inside out with the arrangement of just the right shapes, the tension of line, and juxtaposition of materials to achieve complex themes that may resonate deeply with different beholders. I will definitely be revisiting this canvas.