andante13 Print

I am an artist living in South Korea. I am interested in remaking virtual space on canvas based on my experience in the past. As each one of us is a philosopher, each one of artworks is an artistic mirror. Through my artwork, I tried to bring myself in. My childhood memory became a motif of my artwork; A soft beam of light came from the paper window, reflection of diverse objects on the window, various images seen through the worn window holes inspired me deeply. Walking down the old street in Seoul, a patchwork quilt placed on a stall, reminded me of the old paper window. It connected my present and past. I took great comfort in traditional, old sentiments. Later, multiple artworks sprouted in the sentiments. Reminiscent images were drawn on a canvas as background images. Hanji, Korean traditional paper, is a translucent material. I put Hanji on canvas and covered the background image. Hanji was used to make the paper window, hence it made the same “reflecting effect” on the canvas. After that, I made incense fire holes on the Hanji, as if the masterly engraves his name into the wooden surface. Overlap another Hanji on the previous Hanji was the next step. The repetitive process of burning and overlapping continued until multiple layers mingled well enough to be a single combined work. The process created certain irregular patterns. The patterns give speed and direction on the canvas. Different patterns make formative variations with different stories. Both expected and unexpected patterns harmonize with one another, also with the background image, until they transformed into a single organic artwork. layers, difference in thickness, texture, durability, density of material produces different works. I had to keep in mind that a slight change brings total difference in work. The visual effect differs by the burning time. Burning time determines size of burnt holes on the paper; the wider the hole is, the more the beneath images expose. Once covering the Hanji with another, I had to be careful enough not to mess up the entire work. It felt like I was walking on a piece of thin ice in the river. The whole process was similar to that of building a good relationship with people. Every piece of burnt Hanji and the beneath image need to be well related to turn a blank canvas into a canvas full of stories. Likewise, bilateral communication need to be made to build good relationship.