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Koreatown exhibit opens to support Fullerton comfort women statue

November 3, 2014
Artist Teresa Hwang, center, explains her exhibition to visitors Saturday. (Park Heung-ryul/The Korea Times)

Artist Teresa Hwang, center, explains her exhibition to visitors Saturday. (Park Heung-ryul/The Korea Times)

By Peter Pak

A special exhibition to help fundraise for a proposed comfort women commemoration statue in Glendale, Calif., opened in Los Angeles’ Koreatown this weekend.

Titled “Peace,” the exhibition displays egg art by artist Teresa Hwang, who is showing 120 pieces in support of the Korean American community’s movement to install the statue.

In September, the campaign collected 1,200 signatures of support with the help of Fullerton’s Korean churches, language schools, businesses and banks. The statue would act as a memorial for comfort women victimized by World War II Japanese soldiers.

Hwang said all proceeds from any egg sold from the exhibition would go toward funds for the statue.

Completing each egg takes about two to three months and requires tremendous focus, attention and patience, she said.

“The exhibit was a chance for me to think once more about the pain suffered by the comfort women,” said Jenny Joo, a visitor. “I hope second-generation Korean Americans come out to see the egg art and to participate in fundraising efforts as a part of raising historical consciousness.”

Michelle Park, an exhibition volunteer, said many non-Koreans have visited, and that many left donations without being asked.

Each artwork costs between $1,800 to $2,500, and proceeds will be delivered to the Korean American Forum of California.

The Fullerton statue would be the second statue of its kind in Southern California, a copy of the controversial Glendale memorial which spurred an unsuccessful lawsuit against the city in February.

The exhibit will run through Nov. 15 and is located at 626 S. Kingsley Dr. in Los Angeles. Call 213-448-7576 for more information.