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| Traces (self portrait) 21” x 78” Watercolor, pencil, oil on gesso canvas Using texture of footstep prints | |||
| Born in the year of the Snake I often find myself in the habit of artistically expressing myself in the manner of a snake. A snake must periodically shed its skin which is an activity under hormonal control and associated with growth. Young snakes shed more frequently than older ones. When the snake molts, it leaves its trace behind which is its own unique color and texture. I am like a snake who makes an endless dress by sewing together all sloughs every time it sheds its skin. To me "shedding old skins" means finding true identity and color as an artist. | |||
| As seen in my works I use with traditional Korean patterns and designs that correspond to my own outward appearance. With the language barrier and unfamiliarity with the American culture, I was greatly lacking confidence among the other students and professors. I found myself in the predicament of trying to create an artistic identity without denying my native culture and traditions. | |||
| Through the progress of making objects, I realized that art production is the vehicle by which I can express myself and is the Mirror to help me to find identity as an artist. Without realizing objects making becomes ways to peel away the layers of the ego and approach one’s true self just as snakes shed their skin to grow and survive. | |||
| Through the influence of my father, a psychiatrist, I have always been trying to find my ego that has influenced my actions in order to cope with the current crises in my life. My past has been a source of self-development and is always a new subject for experimentation and exploration. When I look back it sometimes feels as if many things happen in strange coincidences, only to discover that those incidents turn out to be necessities and are peculiarly wonderful opportunities that have defined the path of my life. However, regardless of immediate importance these experiences hold deep significance to me in the traces that form my identity. | |||
| Through art makings, I found an interest in the traces of what I had done to the surface. I noticed the texture and life of these remnants. It was as if I were looking back at my experiences. Through these surfaces marks which happened with or without purpose, I became very interested in the concept of “traces”. Tracing through life, through people, through interaction, through the steps we all take. | |||
| For this piece, I placed 8 feet length of canvas on the floor around my studio for a month because I wanted to record the footsteps taken around my surroundings. As time passed by, other people’s footsteps were printed on the white canvas. |