Music composer and Visual artist
hyunhokim@alum.calarts.edu
Woo Haran, born in 2000 in South Korea, is an emerging talent in the realms of music composition and visual art. He blends his creative works within the unique universe of [O8kk], a conceptual space where each symbol represents the moon, clouds, and stars, forming the backdrop for his innovative storytelling.
Woo holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music composition from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where he studied under renowned mentors such as Michael Pisaro, Ulrich Krieger, and Karen Tanaka.
Currently, Woo’s works are being showcased at various festivals and exhibitions. Therefore, this website offers limited visual information and written descriptions about his creations for the time being.
Artist Statement
My artistic practice is a convergence of music and visual arts, intricately woven together to narrate immersive stories. I create music, digital art, video installations, and short films, each medium serving as a unique thread in the elaborate tapestry of my creative expression.
Central to my work is the concept of interconnected narratives. I design pieces that, while they may stand alone in their individual significance, collectively contribute to a grander, more profound narrative. This approach allows me to explore the depth and complexity of storytelling, inviting the audience to engage with my work on multiple levels. Each piece is a puzzle piece, contributing to a larger, evolving picture that unfolds across different media.
The driving force behind my creations is an array of emotions and imaginations drawn from my personal life. These deeply personal experiences serve as the core of my artistic expression, infusing my work with authenticity and emotional resonance. I find immense inspiration in the raw beauty of landscapes and natural phenomena, their grandeur and subtlety often mirroring the intricacies of human emotions.
O, The Busy Idle Journey
2024
Duration: 4'
Woo Haran’s short film, O, The Busy Idle Journey, marks the premiere work of the universe [O8kk]. In this film, Woo performs as Person Moon, taking on multiple creative roles. He produced, directed, and edited the film, and composed its improvisational score, featuring voice, hammered dulcimer, and chromatic harmonica, with a guest performer on alto saxophone.
Synopsis:
The full moon fusses around in the night sky, eventually falling to Earth as a human. This “Person Moon” wanders through surreal landscapes, seeming busy but not actually accomplishing anything. In the end, near water, it spreads one of the “Sounds of the Universe” to the world.
Stills of O, The Busy Idle Journey
윤슬 (Ever-Changing) is an audiovisual installation, based on an original musical composition of the same name for an 8-key marimba and two of processed field recordings. The installation features clips of streaming water, shimmering over ripples—reflecting the meaning of the title “윤슬”—within a computational environment. It intermittently displays the inventive graphic notation for the 8-key marimba, fragments of original poems about water circulation, and visual elements reminiscent of video editing software. The juxtaposition of the uninterrupted flow of water against the structured, computer-generated visuals creates a compelling contrast.
Still of 윤슬(Ever-Changing)
Na Ra Ga Da is a visualizer of the original musical composition of the same name. The cyclical structure of the composition is derived from an alphabetical and musical analysis of the word “Na Ra Ga Da,” a non-standard romanization of the Korean word “날아가다,” meaning “fly.” The soundscape incorporates an audio recording of boiling water, symbolizing water molecules “flying” into the air. It is complemented by improvisational performances on finger cymbals, a plastic fork, and a woodwind instrument, each imitating the sound from a silver-nickel pot vibrating on fire, water bubbles, and gas. The video visually interprets the music, depicting the gradual change of evaporating water.
Still of Na Ra Ga Da
오슬 (Ever-Passing) is a video artwork that explores the concept of water passing through the air in various forms, such as vapor and clouds, to evoke diverse emotions for humans, along with streams of wind. In the final scene, the "Person Moon" from O, The Busy Idle Journey, a short film by Woo Haran, appears lying on the ground, experiencing the winds beneath a colorful sky.
Still of 오슬 (Ever-Passing)
Evocator is a video artwork, following, based on the original composition of the same name. Inspired by the idea of multiple streams of wind, each with unique voices singing different melodies, the composition echoes the concept of counterpoint, where independent melodies harmonize. The piece utilizes six field recordings of winds, isolating narrow frequency ranges to reveal human-like sounds that resemble singing. This technique draws inspiration from EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) in ghost hunting. The video features textual poems reflecting the emotional turmoil triggered by cold winds. It incorporates a computational visual aesthetic consistent with the other works representing water circulation in the universe [O8kk].
Still of Evocator
aeng are mysterious obejcts discovered near water in the universe [O8kk]. aeng is featured in many works of Woo Haran. Check out aeng's
Instagram
Collection of aeng
Find aeng
Found aeng
Achievements
- 2nd place winner in Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA),
National Composition Competition, Young Artists 2021 (United States)
- 3rd place winner in Great Composers International Competition,
Best Chopin Performance 2020 (United Kingdom)
- Poetry Award in The 47th Central Council Art and Literature Award
for Korea Reunification 2016 (South Korea)
