SXU Gallery Presents "refractured | Threads of Awakening, The Self"
Saint Xavier University (SXU) will host "refractured | Threads of Awakening, The Self," the work of Chicago artist Diana Noh, now through October 25.
"Refractured | Threads of Awakening, The Self" consists of deconstructed distressed photographs of abandoned spaces and landscapes that explore the trauma of growing up between cultures.
"I identify with buildings that are hidden but accessible; they stand in for my body and neglected feelings. Born American and raised in a Korean household, the emotional burden of being raised between two different cultures has left me angry, resentful, guilty and confused. I seek to understand my internal fracture through a process of destroying and rebuilding large-scale photographs," said Noh.
The exhibition title refractured comes from the name of Noh's ongoing series, which she began in 2020 during graduate school. The word "refractured" is borrowed from a medical term describing when a bone that has healed incorrectly must be carefully re-broken so it can realign and heal in the proper position.
"Much like those bones, my childhood feelings, emotions, and memories were once fragmented and scattered within myself. Now, as I have the capacity to embrace and collect them, my practice has become a journey of stitching those fragmented pieces together, mending the holes burned by emotional distress, and building new layers upon those realigned bones in order to move forward," said Noh.
This idea mirrors the heart of Noh's process. Through tearing, burning, stitching, and layering her photographs, she revisits the emotional landscape of her childhood -- reopening memories, acknowledging pain, and gently reassembling those fractured parts. The act of hand-stitching and restoring imagery becomes both a ritual of care and a way to build new personal spaces of refuge.
Noh often uses both hand stitching and machine stitching, which allows her to explore the tension between control and chance. To Noh, this reflects how emotions work: they belong to her, but she doesn't have full control over them -- other people can so easily influence or stir them.
"I hope visitors [to the exhibit] walk away with a sense of quiet reflection -- maybe even permission to slow down and feel. If my work can offer someone a moment of stillness or help them reconnect with their own emotions, then I've achieved something meaningful," said Noh.
Noh initially developed her interest in art during her undergraduate studies in Korea. On her mother's recommendation, she majored in photography, and through that journey, she discovered a deep and lasting passion for fine art. Though she experimented with many forms of photography (commercial, documentary, and more), it was fine art photography that resonated with her the most.
"What I love about being an artist is the freedom to give shape to intangible emotions and speak to my audience through a visual language. My practice allows me to translate quiet, internal experiences into something visible, tactile, and shareable. Art, to me, is a language of connection -- it's how I process, reflect, and communicate with others on a deeply human level. This language transcends words; it's something anyone can understand, regardless of language or cultural background," said Noh.
Noh is thrilled to be exhibiting her work on Saint Xavier's campus and is grateful for SXU Gallery Director Cathie Ruggie Saunders' support. Noh believes these opportunities give emerging artists like her a stage to share work and be part of a larger dialogue, which she finds to be an incredible privilege.
"What I love most about academic settings is the energy students bring -- they engage with art in such curious, open, and imaginative ways. I always look forward to hearing how they interpret my work through their own lens. Those conversations are often eye-opening and remind me why I create in the first place. I believe that being a student is about learning how to refine your language and find new ways to communicate it. Your voice and color are already within you -- it's about learning how to amplify them. The exchange of perspectives, questions, and emotions in that environment feels alive and deeply meaningful to me," said Noh.
The artist's presentation and reception will be held Wednesday, October 22, at 4 p.m. at the SXU Gallery.
"I'm truly looking forward to meeting SXU's students, faculty, and community during the reception. I hope the exhibition sparks honest conversations about art, memory, and the layered ways we experience emotion. I'm always curious to see how viewers engage with their own feelings and memories, and to learn about the ways they cope with them," said Noh.
The SXU Gallery is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact the Gallery at 773-298-3081.