Lives in South Korea
Website https://www.instagram.com/endless_soyo
How do you describe your own art practice?
My artistic practice is akin to meditation, delving into my inner self to uncover previously unnoticed emotions, memories, and impressions, visualizing them. Throughout this process, I both ventilate emotions and seek companions who can empathize with my images. The reassurance and comfort I feel come when I realize that my emotions are not strange but universally relatable. To achieve this, I often jot down dreams, thoughts, and imaginings. Collecting everyday photos as if gathering materials, I wait until an image emerges that can be appropriately projected, then combine the materials to print them using cyanotype and dye them with black tea. Choosing this traditional printing method aims to give the photographs a painterly effect, making them more suitable for elements like dreams, the unconscious, and memories, and to evoke an aged and blurred sensation. If I find a better means of expressing my inner self, I am willing to abandon this printing method or discard the camera altogether. Currently, this method suits me, but future works may not necessarily involve photography.
Which question or theme is central in your work?
These are profoundly personal and autobiographical stories. They serve to transmute unresolved emotions and unearth unconscious feelings or memories. Therefore, most of my works are structured with psychological metaphors. For instance, in photos where the eyes are covered and replaced with other objects, it symbolizes the discomfort of wanting to conceal emotions. Organic elements like flowers or butterflies express beauty and vulnerability, while inorganic objects convey coldness and strength. When portraying women as models, I aim to express my anima, and when using figures like Buddha or Jesus, I strive to depict my idealized self and superego. In a sense, my works are like a secret diary, waiting for someone to notice.
What was your first experience with art?
Since middle school, I had a strong inclination towards artistic expressions such as playing the guitar, writing, and drawing. Particularly, in my early twenties, this inclination materialized into painting. In Korea, men are obligated to serve in the military for two years. Ironically, in that environment of imposed restrictions, my desire for expression grew explosively. I would secretly bring paints and draw, and when paints weren’t available, I even used war painting camo cream to create art. It felt like I would go crazy if I didn’t express myself. After my discharge, I continued expressing myself through various tools until one day I picked up a camera, and that’s how I got here today.
What is your greatest source of inspiration?
It’s a psychological sensitivity, particularly influenced by psychoanalysis and cognitive-behavioral psychology. I constantly delve into what thoughts and emotions I’m experiencing, reflecting on their meanings. From a cognitive-behavioral perspective, I engage in a continuous dialogue with myself, challenging and doubting my thoughts, visualizing the conclusions reached through this process. From a psychoanalytic standpoint, I contemplate the meaning behind my thoughts, images, dreams, etc., and express them through visual representations.
What do you need in order to create your work?
To put it bluntly, it’s about money, time, and physical stamina. However, speaking elegantly, I would say it’s about experience. I believe my artworks are a genuine reflection of my interpretations and emotions stemming from various experiences. It might sound cliché, but in my case, I turned to art as an attempt to address and resolve some traumas I experienced during my childhood.
What work or artist has most recently surprised you?
I’d like to introduce the Korean traditional lacquer artisan Yoo Ji-Yoon. Korean lacquer is known as ottchill. Ottchill not only serves as a coating material but is also beneficial for preservation and restoration. From the perspective of healing wounds, she utilizes ottchill. While my work primarily involves examining wounds in detail, she finds it interesting to consider the realm of recovery. Specifically, her main working method involves taking old or broken items that hold significant personal meaning and commissioning her to revitalize them through lacquer. Therefore, all of her works are filled with stories. You can check out her work at https://www.instagram.com/ottchilior_jiyoonyoo. Hoping that the sight of scars transforming into individuality and art brings comfort and inspiration to many
