CREATIVE DISCIPLINE-
When the earth was first born in space, it started as small stones
PRIMARY MEDIUM(S)-
3D printing, Acrylic panel, Glass and wood
ARTIST STATEMENT-
I pursue contemporary and indie art and my artworks stem from my prior experiences, feelings, and philosophical thoughts around life and death. My illustrations demonstrate the differential effects of emotions throughout an individual’s stages of life, including sufferings and celebrations. Personal life matters, complex relationships with friends, family, and society, affect people’s lives in ways that are indescribable and intangible. As an immigrant who has traveled across different parts of the world, I lacked belongingness, came across many hardships and challenges but eventually became accustomed to living a nomad life. My illustrations are reflections of one’s complicated feelings and incomplete life journeys. I am motivated by drawing and weaving versatile feelings and thoughts together using symbols and colors. My illustrations portray rocks, stones, people, and the environment, the ocean. The history behind rocks goes back centuries: rocks represent the foundation of life, they have existed since the very beginning of the earth. They can be heavy and rigid but also stable and immutable. For instance, being stuck underneath the heavy rocks is a presentation of diverse stress factors and hardships that weigh down people’s lives. Additionally, in Buddhism, after the cremation of monks or followers, Buddhist relics, sari, crystal, or pearl-like small stones appear. These stones serve as a legacy of the person and an outcome of the Buddhist’s life-long journey. Although faith requires believing without seeing, sari tangibly shows the level of one’s endurance, hardships, and meditation to others, and this results stage only comes after death. Ironically, people cannot observe their own sari. Ocean represents a bottomless pit, the world of the unknown, and an endless horizon. There are numerous possibilities but also the fear of not having a boundary exist. Take a moment to let everything pass, drop the heavy rock, and recover and celebrate life.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY-
Born in Korea and growing up in Korea, I studied in Japan at a young age and having been mesmerized by Japanese culture and novels, I lived in Japan reading many Japanese cultural works and novels. Moreover, admiring the animations of Miyazaki Hayao, I wanted to learn animation in Japan and went to an animation school there. Studying about Japanese animation, I craved to know more about Japanese design and colors and went to a Japanese design university. To learn more professional graphic design and illustration, I went to a Korean graduate school and wrote a thesis. Having graduated after researching and writing a thesis about the subject I wanted to, now I am in New York to pursue a career in art.
Instagram-
@blackxx25_blackxx
Hiroyuki Jang
New York, USA