Ewha Womans University "Searching for Nameless Female Artists"

Research and Discovery of Figures from the 1990s to Post-Liberation
Collecting Tips from Citizens to Uncover Unknown Female Cultural Artists
'Our Grandmother Was OOO' Project Running Until July

A student producing a broadcast at Ewha Womans University Educational Broadcasting Station, established in the 1970s (Photo by Ewha Womans University)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Ewha Womans University is uncovering female cultural artists who have left no name in modern and contemporary Korean history.

On the 10th, Ewha Womans University’s Asia Women’s Studies Center announced that it is collecting tips from the public to discover female cultural artists who disappeared without recognition in modern and contemporary history under the theme "Unnamed Pioneers: Women Figures in Modern and Contemporary Culture."

The Asia Women’s Studies Center plans to focus on uncovering hidden female cultural artists unknown to the public and making their activities visible. In particular, the target is female cultural artists behind the scenes who entered male-dominated fields and pioneered new areas but did not become the main figures. The research will cover various fields including literature, music, art, sports, performance, film, dance, tourism, and journalism, focusing on figures from the liberation period to the 1990s.

The Asia Women’s Studies Center plans to carry out the project "Our Grandmother Was OOO," allowing citizens to directly recommend individuals. Not only grandmothers but also mothers, aunts, and other female cultural artists in the community can be reported by anyone who knows them. Once the discovery of figures is completed, the research team will conduct studies through literature review and in-depth interviews. The submission period is from May to July 2021. Submissions should include the tipster’s name, contact information, and relevant details about the cultural artist such as name, achievements, and contact information, and be sent via email.

The Asia Women’s Studies Center was selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s project "Research and Promotion Support for Women Figures in Modern and Contemporary Culture" and will receive a total of 120 million KRW in funding until December.

Jung Ji-young, director of the research team, said, "Unlike previous figure discovery projects that focused only on a few notable figures, this project concentrates on the cases of ‘ordinary contributors’ who were active in various cultural and artistic fields but were not spotlighted," adding, "We hope to accumulate new materials related to women’s activities and establish a foundation to study the roles and contributions of female cultural artists from a new perspective."