ARTIST STATEMENT
Photography is a great medium to transcend time and place. I constantly revisit personal memories and history through my photography, focusing and reflecting on my inner self than striving to represent reality. I am interested in the coexistence between absence and presence, past and present and dream and reality. It is like putting together a puzzle – working with many little pieces by imagining the whole. Curiosity leads to motivation. Mystery raises questions. Ambiguity suggests multiplicity. For me these are important aspects in photography.
I am influenced by both Eastern and Western arts and philosophies. I lived equal lengths of time in South Korea and USA. Living amongst nature during my childhood developed my affinity towards nature. I am interested in Taoism views on nature and human relationships. Painting is a big influence in my photography. Psychological expressions in Edvard Munch’s paintings especially had a great impact on me.
INSTITUTIONAL WORKS
Teatro La Fenice (October 2009)
Photographs in this series are from two theaters in Venice, Italy: Teatro La Fenice and Teatro Malibran. For this series, I attempt to portray a theater as a place of fantasies and dreams. Instead of focusing on the grandiose and glamorous characters of theaters, I focused on the ghostly feelings of empty theaters trying to re-evoke past presences and memories. I looked at all parts of the theater including mundane objects and places.
The history of La Fenice is fiery. La Fenice was built in 1792 to replace San Benedetto Theater that was burnt in 1774. La Fenice gained international fame in 19th Century in Europe but it too was burnt to the ground in 1836. Based on previous design drawings, La Fenice was rebuilt in 1837. La Fenice was burnt again in 1996. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2003. Its current state is very colorful and bright inside. Malibran was first opened in 1678 and became an important opera house during the 17th and 18th century.
Actes Sud (February 2010)
Images in this series are from three-day assignment at Actes Sud in Arles. Actes Sud is one of the premier publishing houses in France that specializes in literature and art books. Inside of the headquarters are hundreds of small office spaces that connects from one to the other, inviting the visitors to walk through its labyrinth. For the series, I photographed passageways within Actes Sud building, trees along the Rhone River, and Musée départemental Arles antique. I was inspired by its rich history and culture of Arles that I imagined to follow footsteps of the intellectuals and creative minds as I walked through each places.
Maison Européenne de la Photographie (November 2010)
Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) is a premium photography museum in Paris, France that houses extensive collections of photography related prints, books and films. The current building was built in 1706 as the residence for Hénault de Cantobre, the chief tax collector. Sometime thereafter, it was converted to a hotel and then, in 1914, became the property of the city of Paris. Its facade, ironwork and central staircase reflect neo-classical architecture.
Through the Reflexions Materclass’s Institutional Work Program, I was granted three days to photograph within the MEP. My journey began by imagining how the first owner of the place would revisit the place today and what he would find. I found details of the interior evoked mystery and intimacy. The gloomy weather of Paris in November created a melancholic mood. It also reflected my state of mind and physical condition at that time.
Photography is a great medium to transcend time and place. I constantly revisit personal memories and history through my photography, focusing and reflecting on my inner self than striving to represent reality. I am interested in the coexistence between absence and presence, past and present and dream and reality. It is like putting together a puzzle – working with many little pieces by imagining the whole. Curiosity leads to motivation. Mystery raises questions. Ambiguity suggests multiplicity. For me these are important aspects in photography.
I am influenced by both Eastern and Western arts and philosophies. I lived equal lengths of time in South Korea and USA. Living amongst nature during my childhood developed my affinity towards nature. I am interested in Taoism views on nature and human relationships. Painting is a big influence in my photography. Psychological expressions in Edvard Munch’s paintings especially had a great impact on me.
INSTITUTIONAL WORKS
Teatro La Fenice (October 2009)
Photographs in this series are from two theaters in Venice, Italy: Teatro La Fenice and Teatro Malibran. For this series, I attempt to portray a theater as a place of fantasies and dreams. Instead of focusing on the grandiose and glamorous characters of theaters, I focused on the ghostly feelings of empty theaters trying to re-evoke past presences and memories. I looked at all parts of the theater including mundane objects and places.
The history of La Fenice is fiery. La Fenice was built in 1792 to replace San Benedetto Theater that was burnt in 1774. La Fenice gained international fame in 19th Century in Europe but it too was burnt to the ground in 1836. Based on previous design drawings, La Fenice was rebuilt in 1837. La Fenice was burnt again in 1996. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2003. Its current state is very colorful and bright inside. Malibran was first opened in 1678 and became an important opera house during the 17th and 18th century.
Actes Sud (February 2010)
Images in this series are from three-day assignment at Actes Sud in Arles. Actes Sud is one of the premier publishing houses in France that specializes in literature and art books. Inside of the headquarters are hundreds of small office spaces that connects from one to the other, inviting the visitors to walk through its labyrinth. For the series, I photographed passageways within Actes Sud building, trees along the Rhone River, and Musée départemental Arles antique. I was inspired by its rich history and culture of Arles that I imagined to follow footsteps of the intellectuals and creative minds as I walked through each places.
Maison Européenne de la Photographie (November 2010)
Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) is a premium photography museum in Paris, France that houses extensive collections of photography related prints, books and films. The current building was built in 1706 as the residence for Hénault de Cantobre, the chief tax collector. Sometime thereafter, it was converted to a hotel and then, in 1914, became the property of the city of Paris. Its facade, ironwork and central staircase reflect neo-classical architecture.
Through the Reflexions Materclass’s Institutional Work Program, I was granted three days to photograph within the MEP. My journey began by imagining how the first owner of the place would revisit the place today and what he would find. I found details of the interior evoked mystery and intimacy. The gloomy weather of Paris in November created a melancholic mood. It also reflected my state of mind and physical condition at that time.