燈下不明

Far away, a cityscape is a sketch of buildings and towers, indistinct and plain. Get high up over the city, and everything below looks awash in simplified gray.

However, close up, we truly begin to see.

As we move closer, we can truly begin seeing the city--the  colorful banners decorating the buildings, the brightly-painted “faces” of the doors and windows.

The pieces in my portfolio play with and against the theme of the Korean proverb 燈下不明.

This translates roughly into: “The beacon does not shine on its own base.” In other words, the solution might be right under your nose but you’re too close to see it.

I create art with the belief that we often overlook the most important part of our surroundings. Viewing the world through the eyes of an artist is an unconscious flex; everything I create is driven by the desire to change our static perception of the roles that objects and bodies play in our lives.

In this fast-paced society, we are so consumed by what is immediately in front of us—what we see and hear—that we miss the hidden layers of existence. Just because something is not seen does not mean it does not exist. Through my art, I scrutinize my own (mis)behavior and simultaneously invite my viewers to thoughtfully reconsider their environment.