Q. What led you to work with glass?

It began during my high school years when I embarked on my artistic journey, seeking paths less trodden by others. Resources for obtaining glass materials were scarce in Korea at the time, with few universities offering instruction on glass—rendering somewhat of a glass barren. Intrigued by the uniqueness of glass, I ventured into the realm of glass crafts. As a child, I had been profoundly moved by the beauty of glass, like stained glass, during visits to cathedrals. Those experiences seem to have shaped my decision to pursue glass.

Q. Tell us about your exhibition series.

I¡¯m exhibiting four series: ¡°Silence in Nature,¡± ¡°Trace of Time,¡± ¡°Breathing of Light,¡± and ¡°Floating into the Light.¡± ¡°Silence in Nature¡± and ¡°Trace of Time¡± are series that stem from my memories; I find glass apt for expressing the intangible—unseen, spiritual and memories. Thus, I sought to portray scenes from my recollections in glass.

Over time, I reflected on what mattered most in my creations and concluded that ¡°the emotional resonance of glass with light¡± held the utmost significance. Consequently, through ¡°Breathing of Light¡± and ¡°Floating into the Light,¡± I presented pieces that optimize the interplay between light and glass, heightening the glass¡¯s inherent qualities.

Q. What memories did you express in your works?

¡°Silence in Nature¡± reflects the awe I experienced in nature. For instance, there¡¯s ¡°Silence in Nature 2015¡±―a piece capturing the luscious ripeness of persimmons. During my childhood, I briefly resided in a rural home with a yard where a persimmon tree stood. I crafted a piece inspired by my innocent perspective on that fruit.

¡°Trace of Time¡± embodies artifacts. Among memories from my early years, I recreated objects like straw mats, grinding wheels and basins into glass forms. ¡°A Memory of Island¡± was created by imprinting and painting a photograph taken with my father onto glass.

Q. Why integrate your past into your works?

Before focusing on the creative domain at university, I delved into studying ¡°form.¡± Subsequently, while studying abroad in the U.K., I encountered the question, ¡°Why do you create art?¡± I aspired to use my art to heal others as a visual artist. Thus, I choose ¡°my past¡± as my theme, especially memories of living with my father in his hometown, Jindo Island, in Jeollanam-do―a portrayal of my deeply personal experiences yet with universal resonance.

Q. The style evolved from depicting the past to highlighting glass¡¯s beauty.

I gradually gravitated towards emphasizing the properties of glass. The iconic piece of the ¡°Trace of Time¡± series―Hwak 19NO05― portrays a stone water basin. Throughout this process, rather than focusing on expressing a specific narrative through the work, I aimed to create a piece that ultimately functioned as ¡°a radiating pure glass blob.¡±

On that note, the ¡°Breathing of Light¡± series is incepted entirely, focusing on light and glass. The work ¡°BL23AU10¡± was crafted by sprinkling glass pigments onto a mirrored surface, baking it, and then putting on shattered glass fragments with a hammer. This work reacts in real-time to changes in time or light caused by the movements around it, showing the notion of ¡°movements in stillness.¡±

In ¡°Floating into the Light,¡± glass pieces in the same color were arranged on wide and clear acid etched mirrors to emphasize the beauty of light. These glass pieces imbued with light, appear to float in mid-air, blending harmoniously with shadows.