Nuka Nayu
Nuka Nayu seeks to temporarily invoke a state of ‘becoming’ rather than ‘being’; a constantly shifting threshold within the absent and invisible. They use ‘Chaos’ as a method to direct their work and a use of ‘making strange’ as a focal point to bring about new modes of stimulation. Nayu interrogates their queerness, and mythological identity to break through collective confusion in order to behold spiritual agendas.
Their work is predominantly performance and includes speech, improvisations, choreography, poems and prose. The work incorporates participatory elements and spatially dominated installations that include diagrams, drawings, paintings, sculptures, sounds/music, costumes and videos.
They fabricate disturbing and also comforting, non-linear situations, showing similarities with familiar environments, i.e. weather forecasts, funeral/wedding, comedy/quiz show, therapy session, funfair, meditation environment, horror film scene etc., subtly exaggerating and twisting familiar materials to incorporate reimagined mythological narratives and alternate historical meanings; appearing to be simultaneously archaic and contemporary.
Their practice corresponds with their anthropological research, interactions, and investigations through experiences with shamans, alchemists, cult religion members, paranormal investigators, treasure hunters, conspiracy theorists, prophets and occult groups to aggregate a shadow of social norms, structures, and boundaries which become vantage points of illusive realities.
They consistently embody and perform monstrous and flamboyant characters outside of the ambit of conventional performance; challenging witness’ social/cultural boundaries. Through the investigations and embodiment of various characters, they receive signals and convert them to create tangible (or intangible) realms.
SLEEPAWAKE CHASOKAMPF was made in collaboration with Harry Appleyard.
Nuka Nayu (formally known as Nayu Kim) is a multidisciplinary artist based in London, originally from Korea. They are a recent graduate of MA Sculpture at Royal College of Art and previously graduated from Goldsmiths in 2014 Studying BA Fine Art (Hons). Nayu is currently on a 6-month-residency called SPUR at Chaos Magic Space. They are scheduled to perform live for Stockholm Fringe Festival as part of Sanitasia Gala Competition. They were shortlisted for Sculpture Town Artist in Residence (STAIR) at Harlow sculpture town residency which was part of the RCA Graduate award. Nayu has a forthcoming group show called ‘CARELESS LIMBS’ which was supposed to be held at Safehouse2 and the same group show is being featured in ARC Magazine: Dirty Issue. They have an upcoming radio performance at Montez Press Radio part of ARC Magazine’s two issues contribution, and they have previously performed at ARC’s launch event. Nayu also performed for Gut magazine’s annual launch event (2019) at LN-CC and they were part of The Oscar Wilde Temple Artists’ Group (Winter programme 2019) at Studio Voltaire. Other group exhibitions include ‘Everything you need to know about Sculpture’ in Orozco Garden at South London Gallery, London 2019 ‘Sculpture Zoo Keepers’, Hackney Gallery, Royal College of Art. Nayu had a month residency (RAID) and solo show at Penarth Centre in 2016; some other performances include ‘MONO:4’ at Courtyard Theatre, DIG, HFBK Hamburg, and Red Gallery, in previous years.
