Heya, World!

My name is Heya 해나 Kwon. I am a Korean American programmer, designer, and researcher working across critical data sudies, new media, and participatory practices.

I am interested in sustainability, visual storytelling, digital humanities, and digital ethics.

Currently, I am studying New Media at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. Before that, I lived in California and worked as a software engineer at Bandcamp. Before that, I lived as an artist, mainly as a music producer, while working in the service industry.

On my free time, I like to draw, read, and journal.

Photo of myself taking a photo of myself with a film camera

Education

2024-

MA, New Media (Art & Design) Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland

2013-2017

BA, College of Social Studies (Political and Social Theory) Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA

Selected Work Experience

2025-

Interaction Designer Exhibition Centre WeeGee | Espoo, Finland

2021-2024

Software Engineer Bandcamp | Oakland, CA, USA & Remote

2020-2021

Web Developer & Designer The Nomadik | San Diego, CA, USA

Exhibitions

Sept 2026

Designs for a Cooler Planet / Helsinki Design Week Espoo and Helsinki, Finland

June 2026

"Epistemologies of Slop" tiat gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

Dec 2025

Mitä Jää (What Remains) Oodi Helsinki Central Library, Helsinki, Finland

Aug 2025

Välillä Väärässä (Sometimes Wrong) Imatran Väärätalo, Imatra, Finland

May 2017

Visualizing Knowledge Middletown, Connecticut

Workshops & talks

Oct 2026

Designing Alternative Media Feed Venue TBD, Espoo, Finland

Sept 2026

Mapping the Cloud Workshop Space 21, Espoo, Finland

May - June 2026

Mycelium Design Workshops BioMakers Lab, Espoo, Finland

Residencies, awards & grants

2026

Department of Art and Media Grant Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

2025

Sustainability Action Booster Grant (9000 EUR) Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

2025

Merit-Based Scholarship Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

2025

I <3 Kipsari Grant Kipsari, Espoo, Finland

2023, 2024

Employee Educational Grant (Total 4000 USD) Epic Games, Cary, NC, USA

2020

Women's Coding Scholarship LEARN Academy

2019

Artist Grant (8500 USD) 12Entertainment, Seoul, Korea

2017

1st Prize, Visualizing Knowledge Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA

2017

Center for Humanities Fellowship Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA

2016

Davenport Research and Writing Grant (8000 USD) Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA

Publications

2017

Work in Action (BA Thesis) Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA