Upcycled
This piece portrays myself who has been navigating my life after enduring my fair share of adverse life events. I wanted to capture how I was shattered into pieces, although the fragility in facing hardships should not be only unique to me, but rather a universal trait shared by all human beings we are meant to be resilient to continue our lives.With these ideas in mind, I borrowed a concept from Japanese art called Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. If a bowl is broken, rather than discarding the pieces, the fragments are put back together with a glue-like tree sap and the cracks are adorned with gold. There are no attempts to hide the damage instead, it is highlighted. The Kintsugi concept was a perfect vehicle to convey my theme.
Contact the artist: park.0426@gmail.com
Width: 18in
Depth: 1in
Eunyoung Park
My work reflects a poetic interpretation of my surroundings and a search for meaning in my personal struggles. From the moment that I was first introduced to painting, painting has been an act of reframing. I learned that even mundane scenes can become something deserving of admiration or serve as a vessel for personal emotion when an artist depicts them as such. I am often surprised by how the simple act of painting can uncover latent sensibilities in everyday subjects.
This realization taught me that finished paintings are not the only elements that deserve the grand name of art, but the period of contemplation before painting is equally important, as life events and struggles can be reborn during such process.
Guided by this realization, I strive to weave my interpretations of who I am, what I have been through, and how I see the world into a visual poetry that invites viewers to listen to my story, and become a part of it. As a former editor, I understand the power of storytelling and the importance of choosing the right medium. Watercolor has become my primary medium, perfect for rendering representational subjects with its fluid and gentle qualities in a poetic way. Yet, as an emerging artist, I continually challenge myself by exploring new mediums and themes, rather than limiting myself to just one. The story I tell through my paintings is far from over and I am eager to test the limitations of meaning and purpose through my compositions.
Email: park.0426@gmail.com
Instagram: artlang_studio
