The Itaewon Tragedy 2022
2023
545 * 788
mixed media
On 29 October 2022, a disastrous incident occurred in Itaewon, one of Seoul's bustling districts. 159 people lost their lives by being crushed to death in a narrow alley. On that day, many young individuals had come to this district to enjoy Halloween. This area is one of the older parts of the city, with numerous narrow alleys, and on festival or event days, there would typically be police guiding the traffic to ensure a smooth, safe flow. However, on this day, there was no police presence at all. According to governmental records, the need for policing was raised several times in district office meetings, but it was consistently ignored.
Even a year after the incident, there has been no national mourning for the deceased. Social mourning was prohibited at the governmental level. Despite it being clearly the fault of the authorities, neither the President, the Minister of Public Administration and Security, nor the relevant local district mayor has offered an apology or been punished. People are demanding a thorough investigation, but an investigation has still not been properly conducted.
At the time of the incident, many people were deeply saddened. I, too, felt depressed for over a week. Whoever was to blame, death is a sorrowful event, and this incident was a true tragedy. Through art, I wanted to express, even in a small way, my condolences and mourning for those young people’s deaths.
International Women's Day
2023
722 * 606
watercolor on canvas
Women's issues are truly important to me. When I was drawing this picture, my attitude was even more passionate and sincere than usual. There were times when I was creating this piece that tears came to my eyes, because I felt I had insufficient skill to paint what I could see in my mind. Through this artwork, I wanted to express the fact that feminists have contributed significantly to the slow but positive change in the status of women. Feminists are widely loathed in Korean society, but still they strive for change. I wanted to convey through my art my solidarity with my fellow feminists in Korea.
This drawing represents the International Women’s Day event held in Seoul in 2023. The event took place in front of Seoul City Hall, and afterward, many people holding flags marched to Gwanghwamun, an economically and politically significant street in Seoul that I drew in another painting. This drawing is about the people at the front of the line, waiting for the march to begin.
This artwork actively utilizes three strategies. Firstly, through the signboards of women-oriented markets, I explore the gender discriminatory structure that cannot be fully shown by the march alone. There are so many industries, institutions, areas of medicine and social sectors that have a bearing on women’s position in society. I selected signboards advertising cosmetic surgery, study abroad agencies, marriage bureaus, skincare clinics, jobs for caregivers, exam preparation agencies for teachers, the sex industry, obstetrics and gynecology, and so on. All of these are directly connected to women's desires and strategies, as well as their experience of oppression and exploitation within the present social structure. The signboards’ distribution along the city skyline may appear casual, but I chose them and their positioning strategically. Additionally, I allude to the gender discriminatory social structure through the city's electronic billboard news, which is reporting on the Global Gender Gap and the disproportionately high suicide rate among young Korean women.
Secondly, I aimed to depict the diversity of women participating in the march. They are all unique individuals with different personalities. However, social minorities are often lumped together and objectified, which makes it easy to hate or ignore them, thereby disrespecting their humanity. In resistance to this, I depicted them as distinct individuals with various characteristics. By painting in this way, I declare that they are human beings, or huwoman beings.
Lastly, through the child in the foreground of the painting, I wanted to reveal my hopes and responsibilities, and those of other feminists, regarding gender equality. The princess-style dress she is wearing symbolizes socially constructed femininity, which she has been dealing with since birth. I hope that even people who are indifferent to gender equality will think about it when looking at this child.
Summer Holidays on Jeju Island
2023
508 * 762
watercolor on paper
This island is the most popular tourist destination in Korea, where I go plogging (picking up litters) to clean and protect the beautiful sea since the covid-19. However, although it is very beautiful, it has a history of political tension and tragedy. For example, it was the site of the Jeju Uprising in 1948, in which around 30,000 people died in a conflict with Korean and U.S. military forces. In the Uprising, residents on the island also fought and killed each other. The Korean government apologized for this terrible incident in 2005, only after 57 years, since when the island has become a symbol of peace and reconciliation. However, conflict and disputation continue, centered on the naval base that was constructed there in 2016, resulting in the conflicts among residents and the destruction of great swathes of the countryside. There are also plans to build an airport that many people believe will be used for Korean and U.S. military purposes, because of the island’s proximity to China.
I wanted to show the contrast between peaceful holidays on a beautiful island and the ever-present threat of military violence.
Sharing water (one painting in a series of 5 )
2023
545 * 788
watercolor on paper
This painting is a part of the Sharing Water series below, which consists of the 5 pieces.
Sharing Water (entire series)
2023
watercolor on paper
We coexist with other beings on Earth, but we often forget and live as if this fact doesn't matter. Through this artwork, I wanted to visually demonstrate that humans and non-humans share the Earth and its water, and that we influence each other. When composing the painting, I wanted to distinguish between different ecosystems, so I used a different piece of paper for each. I was very precise in lining up the edges of the paper, in order to show the perfect flow of water across the Earth.
I painted this piece in the early summer 2023, when I was going through a somewhat melancholic period. I drew inspiration from the bathroom of my art teacher's house. Unlike bathrooms in other houses, hers is very large, and the subtle light coming through the translucent window creates a mysterious atmosphere. Being in that bathroom makes me feel connected to somewhere else, even though I am locked in there alone. One day, when I was cleaning a palette in there, I thought: “If I am connected to some other place, or some other thing, where is that place, what are those things, and how are we connected?”. This curiosity led me to create this painting.
As with some other paintings, I tried to depict as many animals as possible, referencing the inspiring Our Planet documentary. However, upon reflection, I realized that I had unintentionally portrayed those animals in a typical manner often represented in the media.
I plan to add a desert to complete this painting. In the next painting, I aim to illustrate a polluted and contaminated Earth by including sources of water pollution such as factories and nuclear power plants. In future works, in order to depict animals accurately, I intend to consult not only media but also the research of zoologists and those who have cared for animals for a long time.
Sharing Water (one painting in a series of 5 )
2023
545 * 788
watercolor on paper
Sleepy Seoul in Autumn
2023
610 * 457
watercolor on paper
In this painting, what I focused on most was making the trash appear as if it were a major feature of the beautiful cityscape.
At first glance, this picture may seem like a simple autumn scene with colorful leaves, but in reality, it is about a pile of garbage. On closer inspection, the white river waves turn out to be dead fish, and the apartment windows contain garbage bags. The autumn sky is, in fact, fine dust, and the installations in the mountains are the wastewater storage facilities of a nuclear power plant. Through this series of realizations, I hope the viewer will gain an awareness that the consumer goods proudly displayed in shopping malls and the trash hidden away at dumps are essentially the same. I would like them to contemplate Seoul’s severe garbage problem as well as their own consumption patterns.
