cactus series Print

Working paint is the way I can understand and express myself who I am, and what is the meaning of my life and existence. I am a Introversive and unsocial person who enjoy having a time alone. Through my early age, I have spontaneously learned how much I love to do art and satisfy to find meaning of my life through that. I was born and graduated art school in Korea. After I immigrated USA, I have had struggled time with many changes of my life that makes me feel estrangement and hard to stay real world. My work of art starts to express myself and journey of finding who I am. Early works are figurative paintings and sculptures that expressed my daily life and struggled feelings. Recently, I paint abstract theme is about ‘Ghost Series’, and ‘Cactus Series’. Through those themes, I want to express time and space’. Time is history of my (our) life and space is a dimension of my (our) existence. ARTIST STATEMENT #2 For me, the Ghost and the Cactus are symbols of Tao, Godot (‘Waiting for Godot’ Samuel Beckett), evolution, dreams, wounds and marks of the time. I use acrylic paint and mixed media, plus many of materials I find around me; fabric, dirt, sand, paper. I use these surrounding materials casually to add layers and textures to my canvases, through additional techniques like sewing, sanding, scraping and carving until I arrive at exactly the image I want. I repeatedly painted, scraped and carved, sometimes with clear intention, often unconsciously, until I uncovered/discovered/recovered my Ghost and Cactus. In the last year I went on a 2-week meditation retreat in the desert. At first, I was purely surprised by the beauty of the desolate surrounding. Later I became reverential of it. I admired the absolute power of a desolate existence. I saw and felt a reflection of myself through the desert cactus. It was my inner ghost. From that point, I realized I needed to express the beauty of this desolate energy in my work. That experience has pushed me into this new body of work, one which I'm excited to share with everyone. ARTIST STATEMENT #1 My work is a seductive exploration of material, abstraction and narrative that invites the viewer to partake in and explore identity. My use of everyday materials patched together and transformed through layers of paint creates alluring surfaces that while reminiscent of the home and everyday life are transported to another realm, a realm of reality and confusion.