PERSONAL STATEMENT

Discuss the issues and concerns that inform your artmaking practice.

[The creative process of artmaking is to me, a way of communicating my ideas. It is about the viewer as much as it is about me, the artist. I find that my artmaking practice heals and empowers me and I would like for those who view my art to experience some quality of that healing and empowerment in their own way. Although artmaking is a personal experience I also see it as universal in that there is so much we share as human beings in our lives. As our society progresses, we continue to systematize and structure the world around us. Artmaking gives me the power to speak of an alternative way to view the world in which language, words, or writings cannot describe or describe fully.]

What are your artistic goals?

[As an artist, I strive to bring new and renewed awareness of who we are as human beings and of our surroundings through art. As a part of that awareness, I would like my art to inspire the viewer to believe that the world can be a gentler, kinder, more peaceful place. Even in the darkest moments, I would like to bring hope into my artwork.]

Talk about a time when a decision you made changed you. Do you think your decision was made in good or bad judgment?

[Deciding to withdraw from high school when I was sixteen was one of the most influential decisions I have made, which changed who I am and the course of my life. At first, it seemed as though I had committed social suicide, as being a high school dropout in South Korea was an unimaginable thing to be. There are far less opportunities and public awareness of alternative education or home schooling than there is here in the U.S.

Fortunately, I found a progressive arts-based alternative center in Seoul that had just been initiated and received many opportunities to learn and grow. By the time I was eighteen I had become the co-CEO of a venture company, while designing curriculum, managing educational programs, and training teachers for the educational business. I have also had the opportunity to learn web programming and designing as well as theater arts--acting and sound engineering--through the alternative learning center.

All of my previous experiences, which I would not have had the opportunity to experience if I stayed in school, helped me learn more in college. I have learned to challenge myself and persevere, while coming to an understanding that an open environment can better accommodate my way of learning. I feel passionate about many things--literature, education, social entrepreneurship, art and craft to name a few--however I have realized that in essence, I enjoy the process of creating things and learning through that process, which encompasses all my passions.]

What other studios would you like to work in besides book arts?

[Other than book arts, which I have come to realize is perfect for me, I would like to work in drawing and painting. I have always enjoyed drawing and painting as a hobby, yet I haven't had the opportunity to delve deeper. There is something about the act of drawing and the act of painting that transcends and transforms the realm of the immediate reality. The pencil or the paintbrush becomes an extension of my limb and becomes a part of me. As someone who appreciates the beauty of art and creative activity, I love drawing and painting as much as I love crafting, books, and conceptual thinking.]