JI WON JEON
director | educator | visual artist
Silent Clamor
Work in Progress, 2022~
Chicago, IL
A Devised Physical Theatre
Conceived and Directed by Ji Won Jeon
Choreography by Chihjou Cheng
Scenic and Props Design by Jaerin Son
Dramaturgy by Kyungseo Min
Silent Clamor is a devised physical theatre project that explores how women’s body has been continuously exploited in East Asian history with specific focus on the ‘comfort women’ experience.
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The term ‘Comfort Women’ is not so accurate description of who they are as it is a euphemism for the victims of government-sponsored human trafficking and sexual slavery by Japanese Imperial Military Forces from 1932 to 1945. However, we continue to use the term because of its historical significance as it appears in military documents created during wartime. Scholars and activist in the 3rd Asian Solidarity Conference on the Issue of Japanese Military 'comfort women' in 1995 agreed upon placing a single quotation mark to acknowledge that the term itself is deceptive and does not reflect the historical reality.
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My project Silent Clamor aims to raise the long-silence voices of the comfort women, to explore what enables this structure of gender-based violence to continue in our society today, and ultimately to promote healing through actively sharing their stories in new way and to demand justice. The project aims to redefine the term “Comfort Women” exploring the true meaning of comfort and womanhood.
