Ambient - Limited Edition of 3 Print

Ambient is a reflection of my cold but also sentimental feelings about urban culture. It portrays my experience as a Korean and as part of Korean culture, against the backdrop of my current life in London. To understand and thus survive in everyday life in South Korea, one of the skills required is '눈치(noonchi)', a term expressing a particular degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to read other people and social cues. As a socially cohesive culture, it is a skill that is particularly valued in Korea, one that maintains social harmony, that is assumed or implicitly expected. It pervades all areas of social life - family, friendships and especially corporate culture - and it will often place the opinions and well-being of the group before those of the individual. To participate in society, one is expected to read and understand others, without considering one’s own place within the group or outside of it. It requires sacrifice and one risks losing one’s identity in the process. Ultimately, identity is defined by one’s social milieu rather than individual character. How much sacrifice do I need to make to be a part of this culture and this society I am so closely connected to? Ambient started with this question, as a refusal of these expectations.