2021 Van Lier Fellow

UMMA-YA (Korean: MAMA-YA) tells the story of a young boy who learns he will be a mother. Drawing from Korean folk & traditional music, Japanese Butoh, and transgender Korean shamanic history, UMMA-YA explores transgression & transformation, queer ancestry & family, and the spiritual legacies of colonialism.

In their first Roulette Van Lier Fellowship performance, yuniya edi kwon will present a solo in-process performance of UMMA-YA for violin, viola, voice, and body.

yuniya edi kwon: composition, choreography, and performance
Sueann Leung: costume designer
Charles Nicola: makeup artist
Aggie Noh: translation support

UMMA-YA [ in progress ] PROGRAM

yuniya edi kwon (she/her) is a violinist/violist, vocalist, composer, improviser, and interdisciplinary performing artist based in Brooklyn. She is a United States Artists Ford Fellow, Hermitage Fellow, and Johnson Fellow for Artists Transforming Communities. In addition to a rigorous and evolving solo practice, she collaborates with artists of diverse disciplines, including The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Senga Nengudi, Tomeka Reid, Degenerate Art Ensemble, Jens Lekman, and Lizzy DuQuette. She has performed throughout the Americas and Europe, including the Kennedy Center, Big Ears Festival, SESC Pompeia, Barbican Centre, Berlin Jazz Festival, Festival Banlieues Bleues, and more. Recent commissions include the Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati, National Performance Network, and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. www.edikwon.net

yuniya edi kwon is a Roulette 2021 Van Lier Fellow, made possible with funds provided by the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of the New York Community Trust. This performance is presented through Roulette’s GENERATE program, providing over 30 artists each year with in-depth creative and technical support.