Unearthing the Treasure Within

I am constantly searching for a treasure chest—to find the purpose in my life. However, the longer I search, the more I realize that the treasure is buried where it all began. I have 4 acrylic paintings, 4 charcoal paintings, and 2 digital paintings. These media were intentionally chosen to represent the different aspects of my life. Each serves a different purpose and nuance, yet all come together for that holistic snapshot of my life. Art has shifted my perception to help me find real wealth and appreciate my experiences. I hope to explore the wilderness and give a hand to any wanderers out there who are looking for that treasure that might just be under their noses.

Dramatic Entrance

Dramatic Entrance. I land on a floodlight, sunlight gleaming. I stretch my wings to stir a powerful gust that recirculates the air around me. I imagine myself as a bird that travels, ready for that next adventure. I added multiple rich layers to the canvas for vivid and solid color textures through underpainting and glossy finishes. For a more dynamic impact, I employed a dramatic composition and contrasts to create a dreamy ambiance that embodies my aspiration to resist stagnation and my urge to discover the undiscovered path.

Disintegration of Persistence of Identities

Hazy, dim—nebulous. I am sitting on the floor, not able to make heads or tails. My sight is blocked and everything is unclear. The trans-Pacific move took a mental toll. This work represents my fragmented identities and losing connections as I encountered barriers. To further demonstrate this uncertainty, I deliberately smudged my painting and created blurry contours. The shadow adds more contrast and bleakness to illustrate the dormancy of unseeable distress that gradually broke apart my identities through my quest for the purpose of life.

Sweet Melody

“Music transcends the language”— RM, BTS.

I surely hoped that this was true as I transitioned to an English classroom. Listening to K-Pop was my only stress-reliever that spoke directly to my heart. To demonstrate my life with and without K-Pop, I juxtaposed a dark color scheme to show my life without K-Pop and then a much more vibrant and lighter one for my life with K-Pop. The bubbly images illustrate the ephemeral bubble of happiness I learned from music, as I connect and interact vicariously with my culture.

Inflection Point

This artwork symbolizes my internal dilemma to represent my ambivalence. I strive to be a free bird to fly back where I came from, but also to stay in America to adapt. I transformed this abstraction into a concrete idea to portray myself transforming into a bird, ready to take flight at any moment. I gained insight from “Angel and Devil on your shoulder” and by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This illustrates the tension between my two conflicting aspirations. The squiggly strands of the wings illustrate my lurking desire to be a bird, and the stark contrast represents the intensity of my inner struggles.

Silent Voice

This piece depicts me drawing my self-portrait on an iPad as I ponder on my reflection. Who am I? As drawing became my new hobby, it came to let me express myself without experiencing a language barrier, so that I can receive emotional healing. I chose to highlight my facial expression inside the iPad. I hope to get across my avid self-exploration through drawing, as I forget the tedious details of reality and gain transcendence. These cartoon characters I drew come to life, which is why drawing is such a unique experience.

Way Back Home

A man walks into the wilderness, exploring with contemplation. Perhaps it is not a wilderness at all. Is he going back the way he came from? The man in this piece symbolizes my inner state of mind as I came to understand the power of art. The beauty of art is inexplicable. It transcends language, culture and other barriers. I no longer need wings to move forward—all I need are my two feet.

Deep in My Eyes

I have a mysterious facial expression—my eyebrows are raised, yet my eyes are bright with determination. I have four fingers extended, as I gesture confidently. I realized that real treasure lies not in Korea, but where my heart stays. I have found my purpose in life in the U.S. through art. I concluded that I no longer need to be a bird, as I can create my own identity. My experiences in the States are no longer white or black. I decided to venture with various colors here to show the shift in my perception to continue self-exploration.

Moment of Silence

This piece shows myself lying on the floor, pondering upon my life. I deliberately posed myself in an awkward way to reflect my struggle to adapt to the new. The sharp contrast between the shadows and the empty clean background shows a divided border, or an emotional detachment between me and my past desire to be a bird. The mix of black and white charcoal creates vivid textures where light falls. In a figurative sense, this evokes my change in mentality as hope supplants darkness.

End of Beginning

The sky is blue, and it is cool outside. I gaze at the birds that are flying in a circle above my head. They slowly depart and head to an unknown destination. It is time for me to enter a new chapter. Perhaps I could be a bird to reconnect with my Korean culture and go back to where everything was simpler. However, I no longer need to, since I discovered a new language for self-expression. I wave a proper farewell to the birds—good luck, wherever you end up.

The Boy and the Sea

This piece depicts a boy in a boat, reaching out to help a lifeless shark slowly succumbing to the ocean's depths. As the once-mighty creature struggles to adapt to its new environment, it mirrors my own journey. Instead of trying to soar like a bird, I am learning to walk with my own two feet, grounded in the realities of life. As I continue this path toward self-realization, I embrace the importance of staying connected to my roots and helping others navigate their own challenges, just as the boy reaches out to the shark.