Jiha Moon's Globalized Takeout Box

It may be hard to believe, but the emblematic Chinese takeout box is hardly an East Asian tradition. Rather, the beloved paper pails are an American invention inspired by Japanese origami and adopted by Chinese-American restaurants nationwide. Korean artist Jiha Moon sees opportunity in this kind of cultural mingling. The artist’s endeared ceramics and prints are a melting pot of American and East Asian culture, representing both the high and low ends of such customs.

Take Out exemplifies Moon’s playful artistic practice. Fusing fine art lithography with intricate paper folding, the artist introduces her audience to her interpretation of the American-Chinese takeout box, one that is heavily influenced by her experience of living in both DaeGu, Korea and Atlanta, Georgia. The three-dimensional paper sculpture includes symbols from both cultures: the Twitter logo, Georgia peaches, and a Southern “Bless this House” emblem are paired with traditional drawings of red-crowned cranes, an anime inspired cartoon cat, and vegetation reminiscent of a Japanese garden. Take Out is a charming example of the investigative eye required to read the familiar, yet sometimes difficult to identify motifs that blanket all the artist’s compositions.