From Woo Hannah’s female-centred mythology to Priyageetha Dia’s narratives of migration, this year’s Focus Asia section investigates themes of death, truth, friendship and colonial legacies
Frieze Seoul 2023 will return with Focus Asia, a dedicated section of the fair showcasing ten solo artist presentations from Asia-based galleries, opened in or after 2011. This year, the section is advised by HYEJUNG Jang (Chief Curator, DOOSAN Gallery) and Joselina Cruz (Director and Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Manila).
Singaporean artist Priyageetha Dia’s practice is concerned with counter-narratives within postcolonial Southeast Asian histories and the transnational migration of ethnic communities. Plantation corporatism turned Malaya into one of Britain’s most profitable colonies and the world’s largest rubber exporter: Dia examines this system of exploitation by focusing on the bodies of labourers using CGI, foregrounding their experiences and reclaiming their agency (Yeo Workshop, Singapore, Focus Asia).