John Hee Taek Chae is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the ways in which ideology determines reality. He makes installations that plot and connect the historical and personal narratives that have constructed his sense of identity; narratives in which desires collapse, mutate, or converge when confronted with power, opportunity, or illusion. His works are a composite of imaginaries, excerpts, declarations, and remembrances associated with the reciprocating effects of evangelism, colonialism, and capitalism – exploring pervasive contradictions that result when tools of persuasion barter in false promises but also act as genuine containers of faith. He received his M.F.A. from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020.
While at MacDowell, he continued his research into missionary history while exploring ideas such as neo-settler and utopian communities
