Connections

"Connections" was derived from my geographical shifts. While moving from place to place in the U.S., I experienced a lack of connection in the new location. This led me to explore every nook and cranny of my new surroundings to adjust to the streets and buildings I saw. I encountered a myriad of scenes unfolding in front of my eyes as I became more attentive to the scenes where my eyes rested. I gradually began to pay more attention to my responses to these scenes, rather than simply the scene itself. As I did this, I experienced concurrent senses of familiarity, new perspectives, and displacement with my new surroundings. I recognized that the place left behind resonated in how I felt and observed my new surroundings. Conceptually, this recognition inspired me to develop the work, "Connections", in which I focused on creating a metaphorical representation of both unfamiliarity and familiarity. The psychological responses that I experienced with the new surroundings are projected in my work as a visual in-between composition. I used ink, watercolor, and Korean mulberry paper not only because I have an attachment to these media, but also because they contributed to the way my painting appeared in order to intensify the conceptual idea. Besides the cultural implications, my decision to use Korean mulberry paper gave my work a unique surface texture, which absorbs the light, resulting in a matte, calm, and quiet look. So, "Connections" draws the viewer into the world of the pictorial space that I created.