During that time, I was both a seeker of the marvelous forces of nature and a participant in the zeitgeist. Against this backdrop, my understanding of natural beauty intertwined with insights into social history, laying a profound foundation for my later artistic creations. These early experiences served as the starting point for my reflections, expressions, and explorations, paving the way for my artistic adventures.
Despite not being an exemplary student, I spent each day indulging in fantasies about extraterrestrials, UFOs, and superheroes, believing in a mysterious power that transcended the rules around us. I loved art because it dedicated itself to breaking norms and standards, encouraging unconventional ideas, exploring new mediums, allowing non-traditional concepts to exist in daily life, and expressing them through experiential and bodily means.
This desire for change and innovation led me to move to New York in 2002, a vibrant and culturally diverse city. There, I continued developing my artistic practice, participating in various group exhibitions, including "Mary's Choice" curated by Mary Heilmann at 303 Gallery and "Painting Itself: Contemporary Practices in the Medium" at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in New England.
I questioned the existence of reality but believed that each individual had their own truth. Art, for me, was not just about creating beautiful objects; it was an exploration of the diversity of reality. Therefore, my works aim to provide a small miracle, allowing the audience to momentarily escape the causal relationships formed by experience, savoring a brief pause. Art, for me, is not just an artifact; it's a process of an entire lifetime. My greatest achievement is that I continue to engage in artistic creation and continually grow and progress in this process.
These experiences play an indispensable role in my artistic journey. Looking back, I deeply feel that these early dreams and experiences not only influenced my artistic language but also shaped my unique perspective on the world. Thus, my life in New York is not just for art; it is also a part of the pursuit of youthful dreams.
In 2010, I obtained a Master's degree in Fine Arts from The School of Visual Arts New York City, marking a profound commitment to my artistic career. During this period, I learned how to examine the world from a new perspective, focusing on the dual aspects of things or delving into what lies behind them. This graduate journey was not only filled with exploration and growth but also driven by my profound experiences and observations of the surrounding world. These experiences enriched not only my academic knowledge but also had a profound impact on my personal and professional development. Through this academic journey, I not only gained professional skills but also cultivated a keen insight into art and society, laying a solid foundation for future development.
In my personal notebook, "When Art Meets Life: Reflections on My Artistic Journey," I share in-depth thoughts and insights into the contemporary art world, offering a glimpse into the inner world of an artist who has left a mark on the global stage.
Since 2010, in my artistic practice, I experienced a natural transition from being a painter to a performance artist. During this period, my creative medium shifted to the smartphone, a small device that became my tool for documenting life. Living "in between" became a true driving force for me, and I started to replace traditional "depiction in between" with "creation in between." This process not only allowed me to capture subtle moments in life with a phone but also made me realize that I had truly become an artist. My works became a record of the interconnectedness of different things in life, capturing the artistic essence of subtle contradictions and transforming abstractions from reality into new possibilities.
My dissatisfaction with reality does not hinder my keen interest in it because I hope to discover new possibilities through the abstraction of reality. The fascination with surrounding things, such as feathers on the ground, bank balance slips sticking out of cash machines, message boards with staples, etc. There are tons of interesting things around us, and making art is being acutely aware of them. I see materials like shadows and reflections as kaleidoscopic elements, exploring their mysterious possibilities. In the search for pure space and emotion, I find the infinite and sublime within the existence of the infinitely large and small, such as sitting by a lakeside in the afternoon sun, gazing at small fish underwater, discovering the infinite possibilities within invisible objects. These experiences naturally lead me to see art as a tool to transcend reality, presenting the true natural expression of life by capturing the beauty "in between" and prompting people to have a new perspective on the world. I hope to allow the audience to experience more in their daily lives, such as the space left between things after their mutual influence.
The "life in between" symbolizes, for me, the openness, energy, and possibilities brought by contrasts. It has become the wellspring of inspiration for my work, a reflection of profound contemplation on life. As I delve into the trends of comprehensive technological upgrades and digital culture changing the world, I find myself increasingly concerned with the concepts of the body and identity. The continuous development of technology and the transformation brought about by digitization change how we perceive the world, ourselves, and our relationships. This blurs the differences between local and global, sparking my intense interest in the intertwined space of virtual and real. I am willing to experiment with different blending methods, attempting to redefine the meaning conveyed by images in art, creating a presence full of poetry and uncertainty as a unique response to the transformations of this age.
I live in the interplay between East and West, in a state where reality and illusion are hard to distinguish. My works emerge from this state. I excel at finding commonalities amid cultural differences, and this infinite shared space is the source of my artistic practice. I am dedicated to breaking the limitations between time, space, body, and memory, creating poetic and stagnant places for diversity. I focus on how much identity is accumulated from artificial products in life and contemplate what truly constitutes personal markers. Through concentration and tranquility, I attempt to present my unique personality, enjoying the experience of subtle changes in life and the transformational relationships between images.
I enjoy feeling the warmth brought by the sun under sunlight, which easily brings to mind the "mysterious power." In sunlight, my shadow constantly reminds me that this energy comes from the sun, and the shadow has mass. My position is to maintain a balance between these two masses. I continually adjust my position to seek elusive qualities. I believe that art can help me accurately capture these qualities as much as possible. Over time, whether in the light or between different things, I can feel the presence of this mysterious power. Adjusting my position is an attempt to materialize the "qualitative qualities" of the mysterious power in everyday life.
As someone passionate about artistic creation, I am highly sensitive to the surrounding environment and bodily sensations. My goal is not just to showcase bodily states or tell stories but to reinterpret the meaning of images in unusual ways, breaking free from thinking influenced by literature and language. I have a keen perception of everyday objects around me, particularly focusing on the joy and humor they contain. I believe beauty exists in the resonance between different things, so I constantly pay attention to the interrelationships of things around me. I concentrate on capturing personalized, poetic moments in the monotony of life. I expect my works to highlight meaning through visual means, allowing viewers to understand this layer of meaning through bodily perception. To achieve this goal, I often use a smartphone to document daily life, focusing on the resonance and superimposition of different things, namely, space. Extracting, collaging, juxtaposing, and magnifying these superimposed elements are some of my favorite tasks. This process is full of surprises and unknowns because the "void" created by the superimposition of different things is a physically unquantifiable existence.
My life exists between various things. The relationship between "in between" and our existence is one of mutual dependence, serving as the transfer zone for material, objects, and subjective movement. I pursue the beauty of "in between," presenting the inherent beauty in these interwoven spaces in a concise manner using non-traditional materials and tools like smartphones, computers, light and shadow, physical objects, and imagery.
In my journey of profound contemplation on "in between," I've discovered that it's not just a simple opposition or contrast; it's a complex and interwoven state. This life covers more diverse aspects, not just black and white or the virtual and the real; it's a marvelous journey about complexity and resonance.
Through art, I attempt to capture and present the space represented by "in between" and the mysterious power it contains. Using minimalist and accidental aesthetic principles, I integrate the energy intertwined between "in between" into my state of existence, presenting the true natural expression of art in life. This is a reflection of profound contemplation on life, guiding viewers to experience the mysterious energy between different things through observation and creation, fostering a whole new perspective on the world.
My artistic journey is not just a personal creative process; it's an adventure into the exploration of reality and fantasy, existence, and nothingness. In this journey, I've learned to appreciate the subtle beauty in everyday life through art and realized that the existence of "in between" is omnipresent, permeating and surrounding everyone's daily life.
Therefore, my works are not just a visual presentation but a meditation of resonance. By capturing the beauty of "in between," I hope the audience can experience the connections between different things in their daily lives, feel the subtle and poetic moments. This was my initial intention for creating, and it's my unique response to art.
In the days to come, I will continue to use art to perceive and express life, keeping a constant eye on the existence of "in between" and exploring more possibilities within it. Through my works, I hope to guide viewers to think, feel, and discover that in this infinite "in between," each person can find a unique and beautiful existence. It's an ongoing journey of exploration, and I will continue to grow and progress within it.
