Patterns of Place

2023-2024

This series reflects my experiences in Bangkok, exploring the intersection of cultural identity, consumerism, and global influences. Through my work, I examine how modernization and globalization transform both landscapes and identities, often masking deeper layers of culture.

The first artwork uses the little tree air freshener as a symbol of artificiality, layering it with images of Thai streets and spirit houses to reflect the impact of consumerism. The second artwork explores overlapping patterns from various countries, highlighting Thailand’s ability to blend diverse influences while retaining its unique identity.

As the series expands, I continue to explore the fusion of tradition and modernity, local and global, through visual layers that capture how Bangkok is shaped by the coexistence of history and progress.

Knot, Knotted.

2024

"Knot, Knotted" reflects my personal journey through transitions, using the knot as a metaphor for the entanglements we face in life’s changes. Inspired by a student’s story of school transition, the knot’s twisting form symbolizes how life’s fragility mirrors that of a thin thread—tangled yet resilient.

The layered matt medium varnish adds depth, revealing hints of what lies beneath, like the emotional layers experienced in change. Muted earthy tones of green, orange, and yellow swirl together, reflecting the fluidity of life, while sharp strokes of yellow cut through, symbolizing the perceived seamlessness of change to outsiders.

The combination of transparency and opacity emphasizes both fragility and resilience, balancing vulnerability with moments of clarity.

Freedom
자유 آزادی

2021-2022

This series (2021-2022) draws inspiration from Korea's history and the ongoing oppression in Central Asia, particularly in Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea. Despite South Korea's liberation in 1945, true freedom was not realized until the June 1987 resistance, after years of dictatorship and military coups. Similarly, in many parts of Asia, individual and social freedoms are only recently being recognized, while in the West, the concept of "freedom" has long been established within the framework of democracy.

The series expresses how basic rights—such as the freedom to travel, dream, and express oneself—are often suppressed and censored by religious or authoritarian regimes. The deliberate blending of text and background colors makes the words difficult to read, unless viewers actively engage with the piece. This technique emphasizes the importance of questioning and actively seeking freedom, underscoring how easily it can be hidden or suppressed.

<Freedom Series - 자유시리즈>, 2022, Mixed Media on Wooden Panel, 109cm x 76cm (each 27.3cm x 19cm).

Xeno

2021-2022

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, exposed and amplified social issues that have long been marginalized. Through Xeno (2021-2022), I highlight how COVID policies in Korea have greatly restricted internationals from accessing crucial information, safety measures, and resources. The prefix "xeno" means "foreign" or "external," and this series conveys how internationals have been marginalized and treated as invisible within Korean society during the pandemic.

Throughout the shifting COVID policies, internationals were excluded from public mask purchases, faced mandatory testing that applied only to certain nationals, and were restricted from receiving important text message alerts. These examples underscore how internationals have been treated as transparent beings, consistently sidelined in moments of crisis in South Korea.

<Xeno>, 2021-2022, Mixed Media on Acrylic Panel, 100cm x 50cm.

Light, Wind, Shadow

2020

Light, Wind, Shadow (2020) delves into the educational philosophy of constructivism and the critical perspective of James Elkins on art education. Constructivism suggests that learning is not about filling an empty vessel but is shaped by the culmination of past experiences. James Elkins, however, critiques the lack of clear methods in art education. In response, student-centered approaches like choice-based art education have emerged, yet a disconnect remains between experiencing the creative process as a student versus as an artist.

This disconnect became more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the challenges in art education. While quarantined around a pine tree farm in early 2020, I used discarded vinyl greenhouse covers as my canvas, drawing lines that reflected the shifting shadows of the pine trees. This work emphasizes the importance of active participation by learners in art-making, underscoring the limitations of art educators and the need to bridge the gap between teaching and the personal experience of creation.