The exhibition "Recent Works by Hae Lim Park, Kim Paan, and Yeeun Kim" at ANDLAB Gallery brings together three printmakers from Seoul, Korea, each exploring distinct yet interconnected themes through the medium of printmaking.
Hae Lim Park draws inspiration from the cactus, using its defensive spines as a metaphor for the emotional barriers humans construct in response to modern life's challenges. Yeeun Kim delves into the cyclical nature of life, using modular patterns to express themes of change and renewal. Kim Paan’s copperplate prints harness the power of chance, revealing how unconscious impulses shape both individual and collective experiences. Together, their works offer a multifaceted reflection on human behavior, interaction, and transformation.
Hae Lim Park
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Humans are like cacti.
When I see modern people reacting coldly to each other on the subway, rolling their eyes at the mere touch of a collar.
I thought of a cactus that lives in the arid desert with sharp spines in a dry desert with sharp spines.
We often offend others, provoke hostility, and hate each other for no reason.
And these thorns we have are sharp and pointed so that we can easily reach each other sharp, pointed thorns that make it difficult to reach out to each other and make us frown upon each other. What if maybe those thorns are a last resort to protect ourselves, and we don't even want to know what that means.
Cacti are plants that evolved to cover themselves in spines to survive in arid deserts.
To survive in the dry desert, these spines keep them safe in the desert environment.
But they are also sharp and pointed, making them difficult to reach and sometimes even frowned upon.
It's also a plant that, if broken, can be reattached to a cactus of a completely different species and grow into a new, larger cactus.
It is so resilient that it can grow back into a new, larger cactus. Even though they are different species and have sharp thorns.
But the way they intertwine with each other to survive is similar to how we modern humans do.
Cacti
By anthropomorphizing the cactus into a human form, and through various expressions and changes in morphological composition, the artist records the modern world of cacti.
Through various expressions and changes in form and composition, he is working on documenting the state of modern people through the world of cacti. Mainly through the medium of 'printmaking'
Printmaking is a sensitive and delicate technique that requires subtle changes and small strokes to leave a trace that requires sensitive and delicate work. The process of printmaking involves using a sharp needle on a solid plate to leave a scar and corrode the gap.
The process of printmaking, where a sharp needle is used to cut into a solid plate and corrode the gaps, and the weight and depth of the ink that is applied to the plate after the plate is made. The weight and depth of the ink that is applied to the paper after the plate is made is what attracts me to the medium.
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Hae Lim Park is a printmaker who draws parallels between the modern human condition and the cactus. She observes how people, like cacti with their sharp spines, often react defensively or aggressively towards each other, protecting themselves in harsh environments.
Park sees these spines as symbolic of the emotional barriers we erect to guard ourselves, often without understanding their true purpose. Her work anthropomorphizes cacti to reflect the complex interactions of contemporary individuals, exploring themes of survival and interconnectedness.
Through the medium of printmaking, Park emphasizes the delicate yet impactful nature of human interactions, with the printmaking process itself—scratching, etching, and inking—mirroring the scars and imprints we leave on one another. Her approach highlights the subtle, often unnoticed nuances of human relationships in today's world.
Kim Paan
Kim Paan’s copperplate prints explore the relationship between the conscious and subconscious. Drawing on Surrealist concepts and Gestalt theory, he starts with random lines and scratches, allowing images to emerge from the unconscious. This process reflects his belief in the creative power of chance, with the final compositions forming organically as he responds to the initial marks. His work embodies a philosophical inquiry into how individual actions and unconscious forces contribute to a larger, cohesive whole, much like the roles people play within society. Through this method, each piece captures the balance between personal expression and collective harmony.
Yeeun Kim
Printmaker who makes art by comparing atoms to Lego. Tries to give warm and heartfelt comfort to life and death in a rational way. Skilled in creative image drawing using Lego, and making copper prints in a neat, delicate and planned manner.
