Terraformism
Choosing just one event to paint from the countless ones floating in my mind is one of the most agonizing moments. Every event in the world is reflected in countless ways depending on the individual's perspective, regardless of its magnitude or depth. Therefore, before learning to understand the world, the first priority should be to understand the individual. Through that process, I realized that all events are the result of relationships, and the most immature part of me is forming those relationships. Looking back, I believe the biggest reason was the environment of my childhood, which didn't allow enough time to physically grasp the definition of family. So, I both dislike and like people. This is probably why there are hardly any figures in the paintings I’ve created so far and the critical turning point that led to my current painting methodology.
Until relatively recently, I enjoyed using a symbolic approach based on emphasizing the presence of the subject by placing it at the center of the canvas or by darkening the background to sacrifice it. However, what I wanted to experiment with in this series was the opposite approach, one closer to densely landscaping the gap between the background and the subject. This experiment was conducted under the premise that 'the most contrasting things are actually very closely related.' So, I confusingly arranged a series of seemingly unrelated events and a certain subject in one frame. This process was like setting up a stage for a play. At first, it was as chaotic as a shopping cart filled randomly with items, but as the painting progressed, a world was created where very personal areas and large events happening on the other side of the globe were appropriately blended. Hence, I named this series "Terraphorism." My strange terraforming resulted in the birth of a third world that cannot be perfectly translated by language or reason, even though it had no clear purpose like creating a livable environment for humans.
Therefore, I do not try to control the process of my work, which progresses like a game of word association, linking one thing to another. As a result, many paintings often flow in directions completely different from what was initially anticipated, and this is the most addictive aspect for me. In a nutshell, the push and pull between control and spontaneity breathe life into the painting. I believe that only by enduring all these stages can a painting expand something within us and provide some form of truth. Even now, this belief continues to make me paint.