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Charcoal & conte, acrylic paint 56 x 45.5 cm

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Charcoal & conte, acrylic paint 56 x 45.5 cm

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I created this piece drawing on my study of classicism and Kahinde Wiley, whose subjects assume classical poses on bright floral backgrounds. Substituting ginkgo leaves for flowers, I attempted to imitate his style with a Korean twist on "classical" using a famous ancient statue of Buddha as my subject. The figure's clothing and crown are grayscale, while the flesh uses colorful conté, contrasting animate and inanimate elements in order to give the figure more humanity.

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I created this self-portrait representing the joie de vivre I felt from my invitation into Korean society.  Borrowing compositional elements from Bellini’s Madonna of the Meadow, my figure fills a third of the space. The brightly colored pyramidic shape of my hanbok stands out against the duller horizontal lines of the background. The opacity contrast is intended to show the borrowed nature of the hanbok. The painting’s small size invites the viewer to step in for a closer, more intimate look.

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Acrylic and thread on satin  26.5 x 26.5 cm

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Acrylic and thread on satin  26.5 x 26.5 cm

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This mixed media embroidered work represents my long and ongoing study of various languages in a lighthearted fashion by manifesting the English metaphor "alphabet soup" literally. Acrylic paint on fabric, and embroidery through that paint, are some things I'd never tried before despite embroidering as a hobby, so the piece represents my everlasting willingness to try new things.

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Linoleum block & ink 19.5 x 26.5 cm each, 58.5 x 26.5 overall

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Linoleum block & ink 19.5 x 26.5 cm each, 58.5 x 26.5 overall

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I created this piece to represent the common Korean metaphor of winter as a hard time to overcome or wait out. Carving requires meticulousness and patience, indicating the work it takes to persevere until spring. My sweater's pattern is inspired by ancient comb-pattern pottery, some of the earliest surviving Korean art. Unity is created by the use of the same patterns in the background. The tree branches represent life as a constant, the stamps or lack thereof as the ups and downs that adorn it.

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ceramic, underpaint, celadon glaze 14.5 cm x 7 cm 

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ceramic, underpaint, celadon glaze 14.5 cm x 7 cm 

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Through this ceramic project, I wanted to explore a relationship with time beyond the span of a human life. Ginkgo is so old, its original pollinators are extinct. In relation, ginkgo represents endless development and strong will. Mugunghwa, Korea's national flower, symbolizes resilience, dubbed the “eternal blossom that never fades.” I chose to make a ceramic as they can survive for thousands of years, some of the most enduring cultural artifacts humans have to prove our existence.

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"I guess we slowly become adults. I don't remember..." ~Min Yoongi, 28

I wanted to use art to explore human relationship with time, specifically through the lens of preservation of memory. This was inspired by my year-long study abroad experience that I aimed to artistically commit to memory.

With this theme in mind, I considered how Korean art typically includes and complements nature when I decided to make my exhibition a walk through the seasons, referencing how nature keeps time. To achieve this effect, I used paper walls to obscure the pieces from view until the audience reached the appropriate season.

My art includes more ancient aspects of Korean culture, so included in the exhibition are features such as calligraphy and hanbok, the traditional Korean dress. These elements connect to the passage of time and help preserve the memories I strived to capture in my art.

I Have Arrived begins both exchange and exhibition as the sole summer piece. The featured hanbok in the painting is mirrored by a real hanbok, both borrowed. Paired with green ginkgo leaves strewn on the floor and flower arrangements to each side, this part of the exhibition is intended to show the bursting joy of life at its most adventurous.

Moving into autumn, Among the Leaves stands alone framed in black, continuing the motif of ginkgo leaves, showing the strong impression they made on me during my time in Korea. It connects to ancient Korean culture through the depiction of a Buddha statue. As the viewer is also “among the leaves,” this piece connects the past and the present through the consistency of ginkgo.

Winter is often used as a metaphor in Korea for trials that will disappear when spring comes. Therefore, the floor is barren here. My linoleum diptych, Passage, encompasses the seasons flanking winter and shows the journey through a bleak period. A Journey Captured in Thread references my ongoing language study that inspired my move to Korea. My greatest increment of improvement was in the winter, when I had a Korean tutor.

Those That Endureth Eternal blooms into spring as the exhibition’s culminating piece. Raised on a pedestal, the ceramic bowl is visible on all sides, showing off the underpainted mugunghwa, Korea’s national flower. Beyond this piece, the viewer exits the exhibition, implying that although this exhibition is but a moment, it will remain in the viewer’s memory for much longer.