The Gaze

Young Reflections

Young Reflections is an introspection of thoughts and feelings that portray psychological moments born from anticipation and uncertainty about the future.

As an immigrant from South Korea, I was searching for my identity both as an artist and as a new Canadian. The paintings in this series are realistic to a point, but then lean towards the metaphorical. Using the portraits of young people as the main subject in the painting, I introduce ordinary elements (background scenery and domestic objects) to tell a story that questions the mundane complexity of life.

Not only do I want the paintings to be aesthetically satisfying on their own, but I also want them to evoke memories that the viewer can relate to in their own life: times when they were uncertain about what might happen in their future. The age of adolescence is a time when these feelings seem to be more prevalent and magnified than during other times in our lives. The longer I study this subject matter, the more it to begs me to question fundamental principles of human growth.