gumiho (구미호)
For Hoot Magazine Fall/Winter 2023 IssueCreative Direction, Styling
Look 1: Day
Look 2: Night
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Inspired by Merét Oppenheim’s sculptures, gumiho explores the themes of surrealism and psychoanalysis; mythology and the fear of the unknown; the fetishization and sexualization of women; and lastly, the discomfort from combining the mundane and the grotesque. Sex and fetishization are common themes in Oppenheim’s works: for example, drinking from a hairy cup, shoes served on a platter, or the usage of bondage in her sculptures.
Similarly, the existence of the gumiho in folklore can be viewed as a criticism of female sexuality or the fear of powerful women. Gumiho (구미호) is a nine-tailed fox in Korean folklore and other Eastern Asian cultures. They are known to be cunning and evil: in these stories, they transform themselves into beautiful women in order to seduce men and eventually kill them.
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︎ claire.p.kim@columbia.edu
︎ claire.p.kim@columbia.edu