Hello, my name is Jun Baek, an EMERGING ARTIST. I will be graduating in May 2025 from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, majoring in Visual Arts. This is a four-year documentary of my journey through art school, my invitation to the art world that marks the transition from student to emerging artist, reflecting a constant state of becoming.

The documentary, “JUN BAEK: EMERGING ARTIST” opens with a series of questions about art, school life, graduation, and the future posed by a diverse group of individuals from across our campus. Each person, coming from different years, disciplines, and backgrounds, shares their perspective, including Ariadne Astu, Alice Minsuh Kim, Charlie Howell, Clare Lee, Derek Choi, Feve Omipon, Hayden Lim, Jason Ho, Jeonghu Chu, Mihiro Oikawa, Nigel Altmann, Narae Choi, Nikolas George, Prayag Kalianda, Paula Valentin, Rachel Crane, Rafael Tsuchida, and Soo Choi. After hearing their voices, I offer my own reflections, responding to the same questions and tracing my personal journey through art and life. This is presented through footage of me standing in front of various galleries across Vancouver with the EMERGING ARTIST poster, including Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Libby Leshgold Gallery, grunt gallery, Western Front, James Black Gallery, Macaulay + Co. Fine Art, Trapp Projects, Paul Kyle Gallery, Gallery Jones Fine Arts Ltd, Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Access Gallery, Canton-Sardine, THIS Gallery, Or Gallery, Catriona Jeffries, Fazakas Gallery, Monte Clark Gallery, CICA Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery, Burnaby Art Gallery, The Polygon Gallery, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Monica Reyes Gallery, Wil Aballe Art Projects, Equinox Gallery, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. In the end, the documentary concludes with my original song, “BIT”, a piece I composed and performed myself. It encapsulates twenty-two years of life into twenty-two minutes of document, released on my twenty-second birthday, April 28th, 2025. This song serves as a closing chapter to the school year, the brightest moment of my life, one that will never return. As a young artist, I’ve always grappled with fundamental questions: What is art? What does it mean to be an artist? And perhaps the most existential of all—Who am I? I believe these questions speak through the minds of many at our school: artists pursuing their dreams for different reasons, yet connected by a shared passion and drive. Over the past four years, my goal has been simple: to prepare myself to live as an artist after graduation. In order to do that, I knew I had to be trained, to explore, and to push beyond my comfort zone. As a Visual Arts major, I immersed myself in the diverse range of courses offered at ECUAD from painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and drawing to media, film, projection, performance, new media, sound art and beyond. My experiences as a student monitor and the opportunities to showcase my work in multiple student exhibitions have played a pivotal role in shaping the artist I am becoming. Documenting the early stages of an artistic practice with all its uncertainties, challenges, and moments of growth feels significantly meaningful, not just for me, but for others who are forging their own paths, often filled with anxiety, fear, and difficulty. Since my foundation year, I’ve been committed to recording every piece, process, and step along the way. And now, as I stand at this moment, I can say I’ve given my all. Every single moment has contributed to the artist I am today, and I realized that no single piece could fully capture the essence of my work for the grad show. Instead, it’s the time I’ve spent that does. Art is not just something I do; It is who I am. I will live, create and document my life forever as an EMERGING ARTIST.

Vancouver Art Gallery

Griffin Art projects

Equinox Gallery

Wil Aballe

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

Monica Reyes Gallery

Fazakas Gallery

Contemporary Art Gallery

Burnaby Art Gallery

The Polygon Gallery

CICA Vancouver

Or Gallery

Monte Clark Gallery

Catriona Jeffries

THIS Gallery

Canton-Sardine

Access Gallery

Centre A Vancouver International Centre For Contemporary Asian Art

Gallery Jones Fine Arts Ltd

Paul Kyle Gallery

Trapp Projects

Macaulay + Co. Fine Art

James Black Gallery

Western Front

Libby Leshgold Gallery

grunt gallery

Emily Carr University of Art + Design

This project is a declaration of my dream, one I am determined to bring into reality. It serves as both an announcement and a proposal to galleries I hope to collaborate with in the near future. After graduating as an EMERGING ARTIST, I found myself completely alone. Many close friends have left the art scene or chosen different paths, which I deeply respect. For me, it feels like a completely new beginning like a blank canvas. Still, my ambition and determination to pursue art remain unwavering, I will never give up on what I believe in. Despite the mixed opinions surrounding AI, we cannot deny its profound impact on the world, especially in the realm of contemporary art. It changes how we experience exhibitions, allowing our art to exist in both reality and fantasy. Artists now have more options than ever to express themselves beyond traditional limits. In my view, AI is unstoppable. It’s already here, and rather than polarizing ourselves with fear or blind acceptance, we must ask how we want to use it. This is the same approach I take with my art. I’ve always believed: I am the art, and the art shapes me. My work is a reflection of what I experience, shifting forms, but holding onto the same core. REINVENTING JUN demonstrates that no matter what medium shapes my art, its essence will always remain. Therefore, I will continue reinventing myself to reach the vision I hold for the future. The featured galleries include the Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre), MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art, New York City), Victoria Miro Gallery, White Cube, David Zwirner, The British Museum, Guggenheim Museum, Gagosian, Kunsthalle Basel, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, MAXXI (National Museum of 21st Century Art), Lehmann Maupin, Leeum Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), Galerie Perrotin, Pace Gallery, Lisson Gallery, Mori Art Museum, Tate Modern, Thaddaeus Ropac, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and the Vancouver Art Gallery.