Otago Polytechnic fine arts student Dana Lee poses behind a
cardboard cut-out of herself. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
You may not know Dana Lee, but you soon will.
Her image adorns posters, fridge magnets, badges, chocolates,
T-shirts, masks, a colouring-in competition and even vending
machine toys, with the 21-year-old Dunedin student attempting
to turn herself into a product, all in the name of art.
And her quest to "brand" herself has come at an emotional and
financial price.
The Otago Polytechnic bachelor of fine arts student estimates
she has added $3000 to her student loan by reproducing her
image on dozens of consumer products and was "sick of seeing
herself".
"To be honest, it is quite awkward to see my face
everywhere."
Her work, tentatively titled "I love Dana", features in the
Otago Polytechnic School of Art annual exhibition, SITE,
which opened at the weekend.
Miss Lee, who emigrated from Pusan, Korea, with her family
eight years ago, said the idea of self-promotion might not be
part of the New Zealand psyche, but it was for Koreans.
"There [are] so many people, you have to promote yourself . .
. I think artists also need to do the same."
Despite referring to herself in the third person, Miss Lee
said she was not "self obsessed" and had become increasingly
removed from her image.
"This is not me; it is just a product."
hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz
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