Kate Korroch presented her paper "The Isolated Queer Body: Harisu's 2001 Dodo Cosmetics Advertisement" on a panel entitled "Reclaiming Publics (Bodies and In/visibility" at the Queer Asia Conference 2017 at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
The advertisement succinctly asserts that Dodo's product allows for dramatic transformations which can be read through two lenses: first, Korean society's desire to consume the idealized woman's body and beauty. This body is read as a beauty-transcending, goddess-like creature. Second, the cosmetic company employs a transgender person to use this cosmetic product to demonstrate the power the product possesses to transform not just beauty but also gender. Through formal and contextual analysis of the cosmetics advertisement, the paper addresses the multifarious modalities occupied by Harisu's isolated queer body projected onto the screen.
This presentation was made possible through support from the Arts Dean's Fund for Excellence.