Yuno

I aim to capture the contrast between land and sea, inspired by the dynamic interplay of these elements. My thoughts were influenced by "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Katsushika Hokusai, which encouraged me to envision a fusion of waves and land. To personalize this, I incorporated wave patterns into the architecture of a hanok, a traditional Korean house, reflecting my heritage and honoring my ancestors. The hanok symbolizes stability and a connection to the earth, standing in contrast to the fluid motion of the waves. This piece explores the convergence of history, heritage, and nature’s eternal rhythm.

This shows the significant contrasts between the thinking of children and elderly people, emphasizing the differences in their perceptions of life. I draw inspiration from the surrealist effect used by Salvador Dalí in "The Sleep" to explore these contrasts effectively. The simplicity, curiosity, and openness in a child's mind are set against the wisdom, weariness, and introspection characteristic of elderly individuals. By opposing these two mindsets, I create a visual comparison that powerfully reflects both the fleeting nature of youth and the profound depth of age.

This explores the contrast between hope and despair. The inspiration came from the ruined and destroyed buildings in Ukraine, where Banksy’s wall art has become a symbol of both destruction and resilience. To represent hope, I chose to incorporate a flower, believing that its growth amidst the ruins symbolizes the possibility of renewal and the emergence of peace from the devastation of war. By combining the destroyed buildings of Ukraine with the flower, I aimed to illustrate how even in the darkest moments, there is potential for beauty, hope, and reconciliation.

I aimed to explore the contrast between acquiring knowledge through technology and traditional books. After reflecting on this concept, I realized that a USB drive, commonly used to transfer digital information, could symbolize modern knowledge acquisition, while a person represents the receiver of this knowledge. I thought it would be creative to depict a robot inserting a USB into its head, illustrating how technology enhances our understanding. For the background, I painted a library to signify the traditional method of gaining knowledge through books. This composition highlights the collaboration between these two distinct ways of learning and knowledge transfer.

In this piece, my goal was to connect the future and the past through architecture. To represent this contrast, I planned to depict a futuristic building on one side and a traditional Korean house (chogajip) on the other, showcasing the differences between modern and historical design. While reflecting on the concept of time, I was inspired by the idea of a time machine, which led me to incorporate a clock at the center of the artwork. The clock serves as a symbolic link, bridging the gap between these two contrasting time periods and illustrating the flow of time through architecture.

I aimed to further explore the theme of faces by portraying a variety of emotions. I was inspired by the way people in modern society often present different "faces" each day—sometimes joyful and at other times melancholic—reflecting the complexity of human emotions and adaptability. This work captures these contrasting expressions side by side, with the intention of revealing the diverse emotions we all carry within us. Through these varying faces, I hope to illustrate the multifaceted nature of our daily lives and the emotional masks we wear in response to different moments and challenges.

This artwork explores the theme of harmony between war and peace. My inspiration came from the ruined and destroyed buildings in Ukraine, where Banksy’s wall art has become a symbol of both destruction and resilience. To represent peace and hope, I chose to incorporate a flower, believing that its growth amidst the ruins symbolizes the possibility of renewal and the emergence of peace from the devastation of war. By combining the destroyed buildings of Ukraine with the flower, I aimed to illustrate how even in the darkest moments, there is potential for beauty, hope, and reconciliation.

This artwork shows the contrast between emotional and rational behavior that symbolized by the heart and brain on the balance. The heart represents emotions and the mind, as the brain symbolizes rationality and logic. The scale represents the struggle between feelings and reason when people make their decisions. This was inspired by psychological and classical symbolism, which reflects the common mindset that human has.

This work explores control and power, with gigantic hands grasping tiny human figures. Following the artistic movement of Betende Hände, the hands symbolize dominance and control, and the gold coin represents greed and unlimited craving. The painted human figures, representing citizens, are depicted being controlled as puppets, symbolizing the distortions of power in society. The blue monochromatic color enhances the sense of disconnection, asking if there is ever true freedom in a money-and-influence-run world.