My artwork has evolved in many different ways over the years, but all my bodies of work remain firmly grounded in my Fiber Art MFA experience, as well as in my background in Calligraphy, which I have been practicing since my youth. Through a lifetime of practicing calligraphy I have been able to gain a way to express inspiration freely and to simplify what I see through lines and shapes. Much of my artwork reflects the power of a strong brush stroke, which leads me to be creatively spontaneous. Spontaneity is also a fundamental Korean aesthetic that does not embrace perfection.
This exhibition presents works from three of my recent series: Portraits series, Arirang and Wish.
Created in conjunction with my recent series, ‘Portraits of Now’, which offers my personal reflections on the individual and collective experiences of life in pandemic times, the portraits presented here take the form of abstract expressions of the figurative human faces. The simple lines and forms also hint at complexities of communication and of our sensory experiences.
The ‘Arirang’ series evolved from my native Korean culture as encapsulated in an ancient Korean song, ‘Arirang’. The song’s national and emotional rhythm reverberates through the series. I hand-dyed natural ramie fabric from S. Korea and sculpted it into three-dimensional objects, using simple sewing techniques. The color palette I used also reflects the colors of my native culture.
The ‘Wish’ series takes up the notion of transcendence, derived from my personal and emotional expression about my spiritual desire to be more open to the energy of nature, earth, sky, air, and the universe. I soldered structures in sterling silver wire to make the wing shapes, then I hand-sewed cotton fabric over the forms, and, finally, applied pigment or ink mixed with lacquer to the surfaces.
March 2022
