Interview about So-Jeok-Hwa Fine Art, winner of the A' Fine Arts and Art Installation Design Award 2021
So-Jeok-Hwa is the task expressing the shape of the leaf, like flower. This flower comforts and heals those who hurt with their hearts, and it is based on the experience experienced in the artist's life. It is a flower that expresses the leaves about as flowers and expresses the wind toward a society where values are respected. It is the act of recording a story or emotion, just like writing a note or writing a letter.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsIt is a desperate will. I wanted to be a painter, but I did not know how. I majored in visual design at university and learned the field of illustration, but I did not know how to become an illustrator. I worked as a designer in an IT company, but it was a series of breathtaking days that did not fit my tendency. After four years of work, I finally decided to challenge the painter again with a big decision. I left in November 2012 and received a severance pay, but I did not know when I would become a painter with a small amount of money. I did not know if I could make my debut as a painter. I cut the paper in half and tried not to waste it by taking advantage of what I could. it was possible because I kept the tools of my painting days. In a situation where I could not get any support, I was desperate, and it was the ballpoint pen that found the material that suited my tendency. It was my first homework. To live a long time as a painter. If the material that suits my tendency was paint, I would have chosen paint.
First of all, it is necessary to find the formative shape among the many leaves hanging on the plant and take a picture, which should be based on the purest and most affectionate view and emotion. It is better to draw on paper than on canvas, and paper is better in terms of preservation. (There are traces on the paper, but when drawn on the canvas, the ink evaporates over time.) Drop 1cm each on the left, right, top and bottom of the paper and draw the area with a pencil. (This area is the space where the gum-tape is glued when working on the last piece of paper.) I draw a picture in it. I proceed from sketch to ballpoint pen. I can sketch with pencil, but the traces of graphite interfere with the color of the ballpoint pen. I sketch with my eyes while looking at the photographed picture. The flower is a red ballpoint pen, and the other elements are a simple shape and position with a black ballpoint pen. If you sketch with a line that is too strong, it is difficult to modify, so use a light line. If you have a plan, you must remember it. If you have a plan, you must remember it. Because if you fail draw it again from the beginning. The important point is to find the optimal margin where the object (flower) to be drawn can be seen most beautifully. Sometimes the area can be varied depending on the intention, and the size of the final work. Fill it up or leave a trace of a line. If you leave a trace of a line, you can feel like you are drawn on a cloth. When the background is filled, draw a line with a pencil. (The size of the final piece) and based on the line, the line is drawn by dropping 1cm on the top, bottom, left and right. (The area for attaching the last gum-tape) Now start to draw flowers in earnest. It is good practice to use a ballpoint pen like a pencil because it is similar to a pencil drawing. It does not matter whether you draw a leaf first or a leaf first. In the case of red flowers, if they have a certain shape, they express a more solid feeling with the same color. If you dry them and repaint them, you can see that they become darker. However, if you give too much force, the paper tears and you need to adjust the force. After expressing as much as possible in such a way, drawing shadow with a black ballpoint pen. This technique uses the name [Rolling & Fusion], and after painting the shadow part little by little with a black ballpoint pen, it can rub it with a red ballpoint pen to produce a softer stereoscopic effect. This technique can better express the soft shape of the flower. The minute of the leaf is expressed using the strength of the line with a black ballpoint pen. When the expression of the flower and the leaf is completed, the background is repainted. This technique, named [Pleroma], is to paint a black ballpoint pen, completely dry, and repaint to realize the unique Wine Black color of black ink, which makes the red flower more prominent. However, the already filled part is not painted as well as the first time. The ball of the ballpoint pen rolls and stops, and then the ink does not come out and scrapes the paper. In that case, several times on other paper and then reworked. This is the completion of the work. The paper in which the moisture of the ink penetrates becomes rugged, so it needs to be flattened. It is important to apply water to the back of the picture and carefully attach it to the flat, even surface of the board if it is wet to some extent. It is important not to use any other adhesive because it is wet with water. If flattened, seal the perimeter with the gum-tape to prevent air from entering. The 1cm gap on the paper is for attaching the gum-tape. Wait until it is completely dry. As time goes by, the board bends and the paper becomes flat. It is a principle that the paper tightens as it dries. When it is completely dried, it cuts the paper with a knife according to the line drawn with a pencil. Until it puts in the picture frame, it packs in the thing which can protect from the moisture like the newspaper and it keeps. The paper must be thick in order to spread the paper. Therefore, it is recommended to use more than 120g of paper when choosing paper. If not, it will be torn when watered and attached to the board. Dries enough for about a month, it is varnished to improve preservation. Use a UV-blocking spray varnish, and results may vary depending on the manufacturer; testing is required for each product. I use only two colors, black and red, to give me the charm of simplicity and the freedom to think. Personally, I do not recommend a style that complicates the screen. For me, such works are fun to watch, but it is difficult to appreciate for a long time.
I was severely bullied throughout my school years and suffered from gangrene, so I had a great deal of trouble with relationships and conversations with others. Even though I got better by going to college and doing club activities, I still need a lot of courage when I meet people. It was not smooth in my work life either. I quit my job to become a painter and started painting again. The first thing I started was "Inner Travel." I wanted to travel abroad, but I did not have money, so I created a bird on paper. And through that, I began to bring out my childhood experiences and the pain, sadness, joy, and pain that I had experienced one by one. What I felt as I traveled through myself was, "I just a little different from other children." However, being different from others has become a joke, and even to the point where violence has to be done. No one is born to be hurt. It has its own value. Education in Korea was only important for the first place, and the goal was to get a job at a good university or a good company than others. I thought that the most important problem was that there was no human education to care for the weak or give to someone. Education is the way to solve this problem, but education cannot be changed at once. I wanted people's perceptions to change through my paintings and my stories, because if perceptions change, education will change one day. "No matter how insignificant it seems, it has its own value, and it's just a little different." I wanted to say. That was October. October is the beginning of winter, and the leaves at this time are dry and eaten by worms. It was like me, full of wounds, and the leaves began to be painted like flowers, as if to comfort me. 'You're a beautiful flower and precious,' that was the start of the So-Jeok-Hwa series. Some art critics say, "Planar painting is inadequate because it is not a delicate medium to change perceptions or ideas." However, many flat arts, such as posters we produce, placards with messages, and graffiti on the walls, play a big role in conveying messages and changing people's perceptions and concepts.
I am deeply grateful to the A' Design Award for the unexpected award, and I am very proud and proud of myself. However, I do not think it's a big deal around the gallery, and I say, "If you have money, you can have that history." In Korea, many people, including galleries, do not recognize paintings as works unless they are painted on canvas, because they are not sold. In addition, they do not like works that contain human rights or social issues, and they say homosexual themes are not pleasant, they are uncomfortable and tired. Of course, there is a difference in the viewpoint and perception of each person, but Korea is very conservative and feels confined. This is a problem in the Korean art world and I think it can not be solved unless the perception changes. Unfortunately, K-art, which is recognized worldwide, may be a fake that is just a shell. In fact, I cried for a long time when I heard the award, thinking that I was a reward for fighting a lot of prejudices. And still continuing the same fight. Honestly, the results of the Award did not have a big impact on breaking the prejudices. It seems to be impossible to break the prejudices that are so firmly established. At present Republic of Korea, the economy, people's lives, national defense, education, and medical care are all in ruins. Perhaps the Republic of Korea will not be able to stand up again on the day this administration ends its term. The people are angry at the various behaviors of the government that encourage war, make doctors a demon, break down the highest level of medical care that has been built up at once, and drive the people to death, but the Republic of Korea, which the prosecution has dominated, It does not exist for the people. Any more. Faced with this sad situation, I looked back on my life. How can I live without regret in this situation where my life are in jeopardy even though only one regime has changed? What is the law without regret when I die? I decided to do what I wanted to do before it was too late, but I did not abandon the So-Jeok-Hwa series that I had been working on, but I wanted to try and do more. I lost my right eye in 2018 due to retinal detachment. Specifically, it is HM close to LP, but it is no different than NLP. The vision of the left eye is not so good. Sometimes I have to rest because of eye pain. I do not know how much healthier I can work in the current situation in Korea where my health condition and medical care are threatened. The current Republic of Korea, which is undergoing a ridiculous [Cultural Revolution], is deprived of all freedoms, such as suppressing the people's resignation rallies and blocking universities and college students. Angered by the many events that took place in the early days of the regime, painters tried to display the works they produced in anger, but the plan was blocked by the government. I sincerely hope that Korean art will be more widely and freely activated in an environment where there is no prejudice, no notice, and no political interference or pressure. There is no doubt that it is the basis for art to develop, and that art is an environment in which art can explore and engage in creation. It is also the role of art to nurture a mature personality by inducing deep thinking, not just enjoying it sensibly, so painters should sometimes be good philosophers.
All human beings eat, drink, and sleep the same, but the language and environment used by different races vary slightly depending on the country. The primitive desires and behaviors of human beings are the same. But if we are a little different in appearance, behavior, and personality, we look at it strangely, distinguish it, and sort it out. This may be a very instinctive judgment, because animals are wary and distant when they are a little different from themselves. Human are said to be different from animals, but unfortunately, this primal distinction is the same, as the phenomenon of alienating and distancing people such as homosexuals, disabled people, and leprosy patients. Still feel dirty to the same sex, not the opposite sex. Feel rejected to act and speak differently from me, Disgusted that not infectious but appearance is terribly changed. If we can think about it in a slightly different way, that people are we should embrace. Different shape of leaves are form a beautiful flower. Respecting difference is the foundation of all peace. Respecting difference is the foundation of all peace. Understanding and inclusion are absolutely critical to achieving peace.
I held a solo exhibition every year. After the second solo exhibition, I wanted to try something different, and after the fourth solo exhibition, I started to feel guilty about releasing the same series every time. I tried to draw on canvas what I used to draw on paper, work on fabrics using printing, and do small installations. I tried not to get bored as I exhibited. As a result, the work was organized into three series: ballpoint work [So-Jeok-Hwa], up-cycling work [Starry Starry Night], and print on fabrics [Untitled Memories].The upcycling work [Starry Starry Night], which is produced on CD, happened to look at the coated back of the CD and felt the stars twinkle, so I painted the shapes on it with sharpie. Each different figure means a different race, personality, etc. and it is a work that wants a beautiful world where values and differences are respected in a world where violence and hatred are still abundant, just as they come together and become great works. If the So-Jeok-Hwa series is a dark feeling, the up-cycling work is a bright feeling. The work [Untitled Memories] is a work printed on a canvas cloth with a high resolution of the traces of ink scraps made by working with a ballpoint pen on paper. It is a story about the inner sadness that has been shed countless times, like tears that have been shed countless times. It is a series of works designed to display in the sense of looking at a dark, painful and sad but bright utopia. [Starry Starry Night] was released for the first time in the eighth solo exhibition, and [Untitled Memories] was released for the first time in the seventh solo exhibition. The paint work that was seen in the 9th solo exhibition most recently was a work expressing weeds, and it was a work containing a message to give them a little courage because there were many people who made extreme choices without any hesitation in the increasingly difficult economy. "Never your fault that your life is painful. Live no matter what the difficulties. Survive and punish those who betray you. Those who have betrayed your faith." I try and use a variety of materials in order not to settle on one material. There is an optimal material to express it according to the message I want to convey. However, if there is only one material that I can use and I can not make a better work and can not deliver a message, it is also very painful.
First of all, I sincerely thank you for giving me a good review. I always try to be sincere. I like to hear about the wounds and pain of others, think about them, and think about what they need. If you see my work and feel something, you must feel the same way.Sometimes it takes a week to draw a line. I am trying to keep a careful attitude to every single small line. I am trying to look around and feel a lot more than possible mobile. Nowadays, there are a lot of people who live in mobile rather than reality, and the more they can not feel human things. Like the scene in the movie (3D animation) R.E - a man and woman are drawn to each other as they face the real human figure out of the monitor and capsule.
So-Jeok-Hwa The basics of ballpoint pen work are pencil desen. The way to fill the face in pencil desen is to paint it with a dark pencil at a time or cross it with thin lines dozens of times and fill it like a number. The former is just the black side, but the latter creates a deep, deep black side. Using that principle, I began to draw a lot of backgrounds with a ballpoint pen. I wanted my work to be unusual.,I wanted my work to convey something deep and deep. At first, I painted the background only once.However, as the overlapping part occurred in the middle, the color began to appear red. It was a very attractive color, blue in once fill, but the redness of the many layers made my red flowers more beautiful. It is black and red color like wine. This discovery has made my work even deeper and more luxurious. I named this technique Pleroma, which means "full and complete," and is a good description of how I work. Some people say, "Why do you dolorous work?" Black has a different feel to each material: black in graphite is weaker than black in paint, black in ink is weaker than paint, but stronger than graphite. If the background of a pencil drawing is filled with strong black of poster paint, the relatively weak black of the pencil dies. If colors are not harmonious, the work is break. When they are out of place. That's why I fill all the screens with ballpoint.
One of the important tasks that the present age needs to solve is gender equality. Women's Me Too movement was huge, and the perception of women around the world is gradually changing (although there are still countries where women's human rights are suppressed for reasons such as religion). However, many women are mistaken. Human rights are "rights" and not "power." But women think of human rights like power. Gender equality refers to the idea that all genders, including men and women, should be equally respected as human beings and live together. Equality is horizontal. There is no curvature in the horizontal, so gender equality is not necessary to distinguish between women and men. There is no need to cry out for women or men because they are all the same person. Therefore, there is a considerable error in claiming gender equality while promoting women. In a way, the issue of gender equality is like a seesaw. When one side is heavy, the other side becomes lighter. In the case of Korea, since the Me Too movement, which has been driven hard, the human rights of men have been killed because they accept women's positions almost unconditionally and prioritize them. The society and the legal profession have also looked at women from the standpoint of women, believing even the lies of women, and many innocent men have become unjust criminals. A word of women ends men's lives. There has been a phenomenon where men have distanced themselves from women, and even men who didn't hate women have come to hate women. On the contrary, sexism has begun. Femininity is not more important, masculinity is not more important. Femininity and masculinity must be combined together. If you want equal rights, you have to act equally and then make a claim. I want to ask if the current situation in which you want to live comfortably is a proper gender equality, leaving everything to men, such as childcare, cooking, keeping the family and protecting the country. "Is it gender equality that makes it easier for women only?" Originally, the Me Too movement was intended to root out evil and bad practices against women, not human rights movements. Back in primitive times, males were more powerful than females, so interracial turf wars required males. Naturally, females helped males in other areas: producing and raising offspring. The males hunted for food and protected them from all kinds of beasts. Since the civilization, many men have died in war. Therefore, it became important to give birth to a boy, and it became a male-centered society led by men. Centuries later, the war continues. Should masculinity be the enemy, and femininity be protected and vulnerable? Nowadays, looking at Korean women who kill masculinity and still expect masculinity, I wonder why women should be respected. This is not to say that some men are advocating sexual violence against women, which is a crime and should not be done as human beings, but not all men are bad people, and not all women are good women. As much as there is women's anger toward men, there is also men's anger toward women. However, men endure, because they have been taught to do so because they are men. Should men fight for the trampled human rights of men too?The leaves of a tree are photosyn the sized by sunlight to produce nutrients; they have different size, and the nutrients they produce make the tree grow strong and bloom beautiful flowers that produce sweet, nutritious fruit. If you plant a small leaf on the ground, it takes root and becomes a tree. Even a small blue leaf has great value. Everyone is worthwhile. There is something that only femininity can do, and there is something that only masculinity can do. We must harmonize with respect, so that we can bloom peacefully. Painting is not just painting. It helps us to think about the meaning and to train our brains to become more mature and uplifted. That is why art should not seek only sensual things and joyful things. If the message in my work can be delivered properly, can not it be the key to giving clues for a more human society?
The most important thing is reflection on life. When I quit my job to become a painter and started painting again, I made a promise: "I want to be real." This was my promise to me. I always faced myself to make my own authentic work, paid attention to my pain and pain, and let it permeate my work. I believed that true healing begins with accepting and confronting the pain without rejecting or ignoring it. Through the process of accepting my pain and understanding and accepting the pain of others through it, I felt that I was healed without knowing it. "You have such a wound." "You have been so hard." In the process of understanding it, my wounds were also understood. If you get hurt, you have to apply medicine. If you get hurt and keep scratching, the wound won't heal. For me, understanding was healing, and listening to me quietly healed me a lot. So I just listen to others' stories quietly. In fact, healing isn't grand. It's very simple. Listening to what's in your heart. After crying for a long time, you feel better. That's healing. Listening without interruption. Hugging without a word. That's the cure. It is to listen to the pain of various lives, to understand, to sympathize and to worry together.
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