Welcome to Planet Yoon

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yoon Ahn relocated to the United States at a young age with a limited grasp of English. Her father’s position in the U.S. Army led to a nomadic childhood, dividing time between California and Hawaii before eventually finding a home in Seattle. Growing up in the grunge capital in the early ’90s, the surrounding music scene planted a seed of rebellion. “I admired people who were sonically and visually doing it for the culture,” says Ahn. “I was heavily into riot grrrl movements, including all the Sub Pop and post-punk bands like Sonic Youth and Fugazi.”

Comic books, zines and fashion magazines sourced from her local library instilled an appreciation for the power of imagery. Like many kids at the time, escapism came courtesy of the internet. “It was traveling without traveling,” says Ahn. “When you’re a kid stuck in the suburbs with strict Asian parents and don’t have money to go anywhere, the internet becomes an outlet to learn, discover and connect to all types of spaces beyond your physical location.” The next real-world stop was art school in Boston, where she met her husband and collaborator, the Japanese rap artist and music producer Verbal. In 2003, the pair moved to Tokyo with ambitions to fulfill their creative destiny.