French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir stated, is 'woman not born, but made to be'? In her eyes 'woman' is not a biological but a socially defined term. The feminist movement, inspired from this perspective, attempted to move women toward the center of the world. Yet women are not the object of liberation but of blessing. Born as daughter, grown to mother, this relationship signifies the female journey through life.

<Mother and Daughter> celebrates the relationship of women; the epicenter of life. Herein lies their collective history. A history that cultivates love through each generation. In particular, female artists of Japan and Korea commemorate these relationships using contemporary mediums representing the memories of their lives. Asian daughters grow up cherishing a humble obedience while simultaneously nurturing indelible passion and creative energy. This duality of mother and daughter has been delineated by these artists with acute vision. The exhibition models future relationships not just between mother and daughter, but between the two countries as well.

Miyako Ishiuchi, the featured artist of the Japan pavilion in the 51st Venice Biennale, is a widely acclaimed photographer. Ishiuchi's <Mother's> has traveled the world, and we are proud to host her in Korea for the first time. Ishiuchi displays her mother's articles in a gentle background as everyday commodities. These simple possessions trigger emotions stimulating memories of motherhood.

Norico Sunayama, member of Dumb type multi-media stage group, is a powerful avant-garde performance artist. In <A Sultry World> Sunayama wears an over-sized red dress, as on lookers are invited to sneak under her voluminous carriage. The skirt, as the object of desire, seduces an unsuspecting audience into a surprising and thought provoking sexual assault. Sunayama presents the seduction of femininity, as well as the fragility of the woman beneath the overt sensuality.

Three young Korean artists experiment with various material and technique. Hyojung Seo is a promising new media artist. <Womb: An Equipment for a shared memory> is a room and video immersion experience. Viewers walk in and inhabit the space as the source of their own lives full of nostalgia from past.

Soyoun Jeong, now currently working in New York, presents <Changing Images in Analogue Methods: Breath>, a record of her grandmother's labored breathing before her death. As a medium connecting her body and the world, <Breath> unites the artist's grandmother to her descendants as her breathing/life moves beyond the Earthly world.

Younjoo Ham is famous for using her own hair within her art. <Self-portrait>, a round plate with long braids of hair attached, reminds us of comb tooth and tangle struggles. Hair, as a tangible token of femininity, conveys the unique intimacy between mother and daughter.

These tremendous works are based upon real lives and prove to enrich 'her-story'. The narrative of women who pass down their vitality through the generations. These artists celebrate women, and in turn each other, with vibrant chants - songs that will surely reverberate through the daughters and mothers the world over.