As I have experienced the deaths of multiple family members, I have become acutely aware of the fragility of life. This awareness led me to ponder the structure of the physical world, as seen through the lens of the mind and observations of the self and spiritual relations. Through this contemplation, I have come to see the paradoxical way in which the absence of life can be transformed into a sense of presence.
Motivated by this realization, I set out to capture the ubiquitous coexistence of temporariness and mystery, in a place that is both familiar and alien. I explored the origin of this phenomenon by interplaying images of raw nature and myself, seeking to understand the ambiguous boundary between consciousness and the beyond.
My journey began in a small, rural village in Korea, where the scorched field's ashes mixed with each droplet of rain, and gusts of winter wind snatched at withered reeds. I stumbled upon the remains of an animal, whose death had left a stark white mark. The sounds of crows hovering suggested that they too had witnessed the event and had come for the body. It was right after another funeral, and the stark juxtaposition of these events left a lasting impression on me.
As my journey continued, dawn walks in the woods after meditation became a ritual. I was struck by the way the previous night's frost crystallized the landscape, transforming the quiet mountains into a spiritual space with the sudden atmospheric transition. Each step was a sensory overload, and I felt overwhelmed by the strange absence of life. Yet, this very absence brought forth a vivid memory of what had existed in this place and the intense presence it once held.
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
Pigment Print on Mulberry Paper, From 11x16.5 inches To 40x60 inches, Printed in 2020, Edition of 3
들리던 것들이 들리지 않았다.
들러붙던 것들이 들러붙지 않았다.
보이지 않던 것들이 사라졌다.
내려다보이는 곳은 전보다 가라앉아 보였다.
보이지 않던 것들이 남긴 자국을 물끄러미 바라보았다.
조금 슬퍼졌다.
올려다보아도 보일 리 없는 곳으로 사라진 그들이 자꾸 떠올랐고 떠오른 생각에 마음이 무거웠다.
그들을 위하여 무언가를 하지 않으면 안 될 것만 같았다.
내가 당시 할 수 있는 것은 계속하여 사라지고 드러나는 것들과 마주하고 바라보며 남기는 일이었다.
무엇이라 부르면 사그라지는 그것들은 희미했고, 그것들은 어두울 때 선명해지기도 했으며 선명해진 것들은 밝아져 희미해지기도 했다.
내가 다가간다고 가까워지는 것도 아니었고 떨어진다고 멀어지는 것도 아니었다.
하지만 줄곧 닿아 있다는 느낌이었다.
그들은 어쩌면 처음부터 간 적도 온 적도 없을지도 모른다고 생각했다.
그리고 그들은 왠지 나와 마주할 것을 이미 알고 있었는지도 모르겠다고 생각했다.
찾는다고 보이는 것은 아니나 보이지 않는다고 못 찾을 것도 아닐 그들,
그들은 당신과 마주하길 이미 기다려 왔는지도 모른다.
내가 당신을 그러하는 것처럼.
Exhibition View, KT&G Sangsangmadang Gallery, 2019
Exhibition View, KT&G Sangsangmadang Gallery, 2019
Exhibition View, KT&G Sangsangmadang Gallery, 2019
Exhibition View, Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan, South Korea, 2019
Exhibition View, Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan, South Korea, 2019
Exhibition View, Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan, South Korea, 2019