Q. Welcome to U1 Gallery. We are truly grateful to have you here for this interview. Could you please introduce yourself? We are also curious about how your artistic journey began.
A. Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Yujeong, an artist specializing in Muninhwa (Literary Painting), a traditional form of Korean art. Since this discipline inherently blends poetry, calligraphy, and painting (Si-Seo-Hwa), my work primarily involves composing verses, transcribing them, and painting. I initially took up calligraphy as a hobby, but I fell in love with the scent of ink permeating the brush. That fascination has kept me on this path for over twelve years now.
Q. We would love to hear about your creative process and methods of expression. What aspects do you pay the most attention to during your work? Furthermore, what values do you consider most important as an artist?
A. My work begins with sentences. I compose a text first and then conceive the visual composition around it. Consequently, the repeated writings in each piece vary and are arranged in diverse forms—sometimes resembling a hanging mobile, other times serving as a metaphor for the universe within a human being.
The element I value most is "empty space" (or negative space). I hope for the audience to encounter their own stories through my work, and I believe those individual stories reside not within the text or images, but within that void. Therefore, I pour significant energy into the empty space, deliberating deeply to create a composition that naturally draws the eye.
Q. Could you describe a work or series that played a pivotal role in your career? We would also welcome a description of the piece you hold most dear.
A. There is a specific work I always place at the center of every exhibition or art fair: the <Origin of the Door> series. This series marks the beginning of my current style and represents my most decisive focus on empty space, positioning the "Door" (Mun) and the "Moon" within the void. Currently, the series extends to four pieces, up to <Origin of the Door_4>.
Q. Where do you draw your inspiration? We are also curious about what gives you strength while working—the driving force behind your artistic activity.
A. Everything in daily life serves as inspiration. With the mindset of recording the scenes I have lived through, I arrange past moments into sentences and paintings. I tend to focus on recording how external stimuli, felt while awake, interact with my internal cycle to create specific vibrations. As I repeat this focus, concrete forms gradually emerge. I then build sentences from this and base my visual composition on them.
I am not someone who overflows with high energy when preparing for or immersing myself in work. Instead, like deep, calm water or the quietly swaying branches of a willow tree, I practice looking at life with sincerity. When that sincerity is captured in the work, I gain the ultimate strength and motivation.
Q. What message do you wish to convey to the audience through your work?
A. The aspects of life I arrange carry the message that "whoever’s life it is, it is sufficient in itself." Through the act of composing sentences and writing them repeatedly, I aim to convey this message more deeply: "How brilliant your records are, forming an orbit of the life you have diligently lived," and "How magnificent you are, just as you are." I hope viewers discover their own stories within the irregularly arranged shapes. I always cheer for the fact that you have "lived" and endured.
Q. What is your dream project? Could you share your plans and aspirations as an artist?
A. I am envisioning a documentary-archiving project where I interview others and create paintings based on their stories. I want to share and record the sentiment that simply having lived—and being alive—is sufficient and remarkable. Beyond the artwork itself, I think it would be wonderful to record this process as a documentary film.
Q. As we conclude this interview, is there a final message you would like to share with our readers?
A. I simply want to say that there is someone always cheering for your time and your life. I hope my work can offer a moment of respite for your gaze. Thank you.
Contact
Artist : 유정 / Yujeong
E-mail : seomyj@gmail.com
Instagram : @yj_seom
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