Mina Cheon

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Mina Cheon (MJ Standup Korean)
Mina Cheon NYC.jpg
Born
Seoul, South Korea
Alma materEwha Womans University,
Maryland Institute College of Art,
University of Maryland
European Graduate School
Korean name
Hangul
천민정
RR Cheon Minjeong
MR Ch'ŏn Minjŏng

Mina Cheon (born 1973) is a Korean American new media artist and scholar, producer and curator of cultural projects. Since 1997, she has lived between Baltimore, New York, and Seoul. MJ Standup Korean is the comedic stage name of Mina Cheon, a prominent Korean-American "Polipop" (Political Pop) artist, professor, and scholar based in New York.

Contents

Personal life and education

Cheon was born in Seoul, South Korea. [1] Being the daughter of a South Korean diplomat and cultural attache, she grew up in the cities of Seoul, New York, Copenhagen, and Ottawa. [2]

She received a BFA in painting from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, an MFA in painting from Hoffberger School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), an MFA in imaging digital arts from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). and a PhD in philosophy of media and communications from the European Graduate School, European University for Interdisciplinary Studies, Switzerland in 2008. She is a professor emerita of the Maryland Institute College of Art. [3]

Teaching

One of Cheon's educational contributions has been the international art program and exchange that she has led for American and Korean art, architecture, and design faculty and students. She has directed international art education since 2004, working with universities in Seoul such as Hongik University, Korea National University of Arts, and with Ewha Womans University in 2010, taking students from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) [4] and Morgan State University to South Korea. [5] Cheon expanded her teaching horizons from just art to teaching in the departments of Foundation; Art History; Language, Literature, and Culture; and Interactive Media. She was also the founder and director of the summer study abroad program MICA Korea that was held each summer in Seoul, Korea between 2004 and 2007. [6]

Exhibitions

Cheon's solo exhibitions include:

Diamonds Light Baltimore is a collaborative project built by Mina Cheon and Gabriel Kroiz composed of fifteen unique diamond shaped sculptures of different shapes and sizes. [22] These sculptures are large enough for the audience to walk inside and through it. The diamond sculptures are made of LED lights to highlight the unique shape of the object. [23]

On February 23, 2012, "Magic and Media," a New Media Caucus-sponsored panel, was held at the College Art Association 100th Annual Conference in Los Angeles. Cheon chaired the panel with Lisa Paul Streitfeld. The panel focused on the age of new media culture like reality TV shows, horror flicks, the re-creations of religious cults, online spiritual healing, and pop-star worship.

On March 3, 2018, Mina Cheon was the keynote speaker for Smith’s annual Miller Lecture in Art History in Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall, Smith College. [24]

On September 16, 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the First Lady Kim Jung-sook came to Mina Cheon's “Eat Choco-Pie Together" installation at the 2018 Busan Biennale, Maryland Institute College of Art covered the story, "Virtuoso Faculty: Mina Cheon, Korean President Moon Jae-in and the First Lady Kim Jung-sook came to “Eat Choco-Pie Together,” an installation presented by MICA faculty member Mina Cheon at the 2018 Busan Biennale. [25]

On June 30, 2021, Cheon held an artist talk with The Korean Society in New York City, where she had an exhibition of her art intended to demonstrate the unification and peace that both Koreas are seeking. As a global activism artist, Cheon’s projects to unite both Koreas include making a pair of sneakers where the flag of North Korea is drawn on one shoe, and on the other, the flag of South Korea is drawn. Her statement for this is that you need two feet to move forward; therefore, Koreans can’t move forward without leaving the other country behind.

On September 6, 2025, Cheon premiered bridging art and comedy event for peace-building at KODA New York. [26] Also known as "MJ Standup Korean," artist Mina Cheon takes the stage as a standup comic performing all around New York with art history jokes and observational, satiric, dark romantic comedy that is message-driven, once a professor, always professing. She is a cultural producer and curator and has mounted thematic comedy shows in art and cultural spaces, including a Stand Up NY Presents projects. [27]

On November 1, 2025, AHL Foundation Names Dr. Mina Cheon as 2025 Recipient of the AHL-AKAA Ran Hwang Fund. The research project will serve as an intergenerational study on diaspora and transnational identity. As a global Korean political pop new media artist, her recent project merging art and comedy and peace-building with laughter was premiered K-Comedy at the AHL Foundation. [28]

Writing

Books

Articles

Her artistic research involves delving into racism in published visual arts encompassing Asian nations that are found in images and popular culture. [29]

References

Crossing Over: Artist Mina Cheon Envisions Spaces of Democracy and Exchange Cheon's multidisciplinary work describes the subtle dynamics of a divided country, embedding contradictory layers of information that political discourse leaves out. "Artist Mina Cheon Envisions Spaces of Democracy and Exchange". BmoreArte. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

Choco Pies for peace: artist Mina Cheon and Asia Society Triennial invite the public to share a virtual treat. "Mina Cheon Inaugural Asia Society Triennial". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved March 18, 2021.

  1. ↑ Roper, Derek (September 20, 2010), "Mina Cheon speaks of her multicultural artistic pursuits", The Retriever Weekly, retrieved September 17, 2011
  2. ↑ Cheon, Mina (March 25, 2011), iamkoreanamerican , retrieved April 17, 2012
  3. ↑ "Mina Cheon", Faculty: Art History, Theory, Criticism, Foundation, Interactive Media & Liberal Arts Programs & Minors, Maryland Institute College of Art, retrieved September 17, 2011
  4. ↑ Stephanie Shapiro (April 8, 2007). "In designs, architect recycles, reuses, rethinks". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, USA. p. 7.
  5. ↑ International and Intercultural Education for Artists and Designers, MinaCheon, archived from the original on May 14, 2012, retrieved September 17, 2012
  6. ↑ Institute, Maryland Art. "Mina Cheon". mica.edu. Maryland Institute College of Art. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  7. ↑ Haunted Koreas: Mina Cheon Retrospective 2005-2025, KODA NY, retrieved October 1, 2025
  8. ↑ Haunted Koreas at The Asian Arts and Culture Center, Towson University, retrieved May 17, 2025
  9. ↑ Haunted Koreas at the American University Museum, American University, retrieved December 11, 2022
  10. ↑ Mina Cheon: Dreaming Unification Protest Peace at The Korea Society, Korean Society, retrieved June 1, 2021
  11. ↑ UMMA:MASS GAMES at Ethan Cohen Gallery New York, Ethan Cohen Gallery, retrieved August 1, 2018
  12. ↑ Happy North Korean Children at Trunk Gallery, Seoul, Trunk Gallery, retrieved August 1, 2014
  13. ↑ Choco-Pie Propaganda at Ethan Cohen New York, Ethan Cohen New York, retrieved November 22, 2013
  14. ↑ Sungkok Art Museum, Seoul, Korea, Sungkok Art Museum, retrieved January 10, 2012
  15. ↑ Polipop and Paintings at Maryland Art Place, Maryland Art Place, archived from the original on August 4, 2012, retrieved April 15, 2012
  16. ↑ Maryland Art Place, Maryland Art Place, retrieved April 15, 2012
  17. ↑ Groundless at Lance Fung Gallery, Jessica Higgins, retrieved October 12, 2002
  18. ↑ "Best Solo Show: Mina Cheon Addressing Dolls At C. Grimaldis Gallery", Baltimore City Paper, September 17, 2008, retrieved September 17, 2011
  19. ↑ Noonan, Kate (March 26, 2008), "Mina Cheon: Addressing Dolls: At C. Grimaldis Gallery Through March 29", Baltimore City Paper, retrieved September 17, 2011
  20. ↑ McNatt, Glenn (March 15, 2008), "'Dolls' reflects drama in Korea", The Baltimore Sun, retrieved September 17, 2011
  21. ↑ 전시회 '인형을 통해 말하다'; 인형으로 남북한의 현실 표현 – 천민정 교수, Voice of America, March 24, 2008, retrieved September 17, 2011
  22. ↑ Wesley Case (January 1, 2016). "Light It Up". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, USA. p. 12.
  23. ↑ Richardson, Kevin. "Light City Baltimore". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Bodily Images Reveal Varied Cultures of Modern East Asia". Smith College. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  25. ↑ "People: Mina Cheon". Maryland Institute College of Art. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  26. ↑ "MJ produces Art and Comedy Event". KODA NY. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  27. ↑ "People: MJ Standup Korean" . Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  28. ↑ "K-Comedy". AHL Foundation. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  29. ↑ "People: Mina Cheon". Maryland Institute College of Art. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
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