Seisen International School
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Seisen International School IB Diploma Programme Art Exhibition 2020
just is not speaking to the heart and mind Ad Finem Fidelis the way that the artist originally imagined . It takes courage and commitment to allow Colette Rogers the artistic imagination to flourish, to Head of Seisen International School form and express through different media. Every day our student artists at Seisen Our students display that courage and International School exemplify courage in commitment in abundance through their their creative processes and commitment to work! their art through defining and refining their pieces and communicating the intended My thanks to Ms Amanda Marcon and Ms messages of their work. Shantelle Kotowich for their commitment It takes courage and commitment for an to their students in their guidance of them artist to be vulnerable , to share a creation through the preparation for this exhibition. and open it up to praise and critical appraisal. It takes courage and commitment I would also like to acknowledge the comfor an artist to share their inner thoughts, mitment to the Tsuji family, our unofficial emotions and opinions with a wider familiar patrons of the arts, to supporting our young and sometimes unfamiliar audience. It takes artists in fulfilling their dreams of exhibiting courage to restart or change a piece that their art pieces. The 2019 - 2020 academic year at Seisen International School is our year to focus on “Learning to Love and Loving to Learn through Courage and Commitment�.
Lisa Anderson
“Atlantis”
I painted a robot with a TV head to depict the connection between humans and inanimate objects. A hologram comes from the head, and the things in it are an astronaut, satellite dish, rocket, probe, the International Space Station, and Opportunity. “An Escape” represents how I dream about space to escape the negativity I experience in life, and to think about my future aspirations.
“Discovery”
This was my first piece that used the astronaut rather than the robot because I believed an astronaut is a more well-known symbol for space exploration and science. Like my other pieces that use an inanimate object for symbolism, I used a flower in this piece. I wanted to represent that the astronaut has “grown” the flower and in turn has “grown” their own space. They have grown their own space through the flower, which they have grown themselves with their own effort.
“Rovers”
In this series of charcoal artworks, I was inspired by Pablo Picasso’s series “The Bull”, where he breaks down a bull to its “soul” using lithographic prints. The object I simplified was the Opportunity rover, which NASA operated on Mars from 2004 to 2018. It symbolizes the curiosity I have for the concept of “space”. The series portrays the link between art and science, as well as the idea that things may be simpler than they seem. At the end of this series, I reach the “soul” of Opportunity.
“Opportunity”
The title “Opportunity” refers to the astronaut taking the opportunity to learn from the book they hold. The astronaut represents a person being “transported to another world” through the contents of the book and their dreams. In this piece, I wanted to explore the concept of how people create their own “space”. Many people describe themselves as entering another universe or world when reading a book or daydreaming, and I wanted to express this feeling through this piece.
artists” like Paul Calle, Chelsey Bonestell artworks as it combines human symbols and Tom Sachs, and other artists like and mechanical symbols, so I placed it between my artworks that have a more Pablo Picasso. mechanical focus and others that are To express my concept, I used a variety more focused on emotion. Each of the of materials and techniques. Some of titles references a Space Shuttle mission the materials I have used include digital or the names of a Mars rover. painting and charcoal. My digital painting styles mimic and innovate upon mediums like watercolor and acrylic painting. I used these materials to explore how they can all be used to express the various forms of “space”. I also wanted to gain more experience using those materials. The mediums I used also have an impact on the meaning communicated within the artworks. For instance, the use of charcoal in “Rovers”, is a medium that allows an artist to change lines easily and often In my artworks, the underlying theme has haphazardly. This resembles how the been the concept of “Space”. I decided to universe often changes randomly, easily express this idea in my pieces through connecting my artwork to the theme of many methods. “Space” literally can mean “Space” in terms of how the universe and an unoccupied area or the dimensions in space functions. which we live. It also refers to the vacuum of outer space and “the freedom to live, To ensure my artworks effectively convey think, and develop in a way that suits” their meaning and purpose, I considered a person. In my pieces, I have multiple how they would be arranged. I want the motifs of outer space, including celestial viewer to look closely at my artworks and objects and space vehicles. notice subtle details, such as “Rovers”. I
Lisa Anderson
An example is the artwork “An Escape” which explores the use of space objects to communicate my relationship with outer space. Finally, space is also an element of art I have used throughout my artworks. For this exhibition, I have taken inspiration from a variety of artists, including “space
placed my artworks at eye level for more intimate viewing for the audience. While arranging my artworks, I also considered the coherence of the pieces next to each other and placed them in chronological order. However, I felt “Atlantis”, was an intermediary step between the other
Jihee Choi
Jihee Choi
“H I D D E N”
The concept of this composition is to show the audience how we often shape our perspectives by wearing color glasses. The four faces will differ accordingly depending on the glasses individual wear. The color glass implies how one single person can have different types of relationships and may act completely different depending on who the person is encountering. As a result, their past experiences and knowledge lead each individual to perceive the same situation differently from each other.
“G R I E V O U S”
In my perspective, opening up myself and allowing others to know the kind of person I am made me feel insecure. Any information about me can be used as a weapon for others to attack me and some information about my flaws can be considered as my weaknesses. Meanwhile, by sharing my imperfections, I am able to reflect on my true thoughts more logically and accept my flaws.
“P R E D A T O R”
Through this composition, I am demonstrating my personality and my flaws. I tend to focus more on other’s positive traits and neglect the red flags. This has led me to face several consequences where I was backstabbed by multiple people by being taken advantage of. I tend to forgive and pass plentiful wrongdoings of my close beings which at the end brings more chaos. Therefore, this is a symbolism of myself chasing idealistic ideas and not being able to notice the bigger threat behind me.
“C H E F”
This composition was inspired by the characteristics of “sociopath” and the composition narrates one incident that led me into building a wall inside myself as one of the tactics to protect myself from getting hurt by others. The chef in the painting illustrates people who have taken advantage of me for their own likings. All the meals displayed on the table represent myself being cut into pieces and being consumed by those who have greater authority.
Momone Ishibashi
“Friends”
This artwork is about the important and influential friends I have. It connects to my theme of daily life. This is shown through the three friends of mine. They influence me especially since they are the ones who help me through my tough times. I showed this theme and idea through the use of warm tone colors as well as the expression on each subject’s face. The bright warm tone colors, as well as the expression of the figures, face connoting the positivity and optimism.
“Unity”
‘Unity’, is a work where I want to express diversity. Growing up in an international school, I have friends of different races, cultural backgrounds, and values. I used photographs of my friends who represent different nationalities, but I wanted to show how we can still unite despite our differences.
Momone Ishibashi
My conceptual exploration revolves around the ideas that link with my daily life. The exploration of things that are personally the most important, and the elements that shape the person I am today. These concepts consist of the people that influence me, places and people that I value, and, the ephemerality of time. A selection of photography, mixed media, colored pencils, and 3D art forms was employed to convey concepts. The features that are consistent throughout this body of art were the use of people and faces. I was inspired to use faces and people throughout my work because I believe that even though one tries to suppress their emotions, facial expressions will always bring the truth out. “パパ”, is an artwork dedicated to my father.
The portrait of him represents his warmth he brings into the family, as he supports and loves us unconditionally. Additionally, instead of using a photo of my father right now as a reference, I decided to use an old photo of him. This is because I find it intriguing that even though he has been part of my whole life, I am never going to be fully part of his. Hence, I used a young photograph of him as a reference to try to connect with a side of my parents that I don’t know. As this is my last year in high school, I wanted to commemorate the year and highlight some important moments of this school year in this exhibition. The artwork ‘Friends’ successfully captures facial expressions and conveys a message of happiness and motivation, and the importance of these three friends hold personally. The continuation of this idea is visible in the artwork ‘Unity’. Though the same people are evident, this work symbolizes the valuable experiences of attending an international school and the diverse people I encountered throughout the years. David Hockney’s ‘Joiners’ inspired this artwork, I utilized the idea of combining a variety of photographs and reassembling them. Therefore, ‘Unity’ is a depiction of my daily life; how I value attending an international school, and the opportunity of being able to meet with new people from all around the world. This artwork is an overall reflection and appreciation of my school life. At this point I started to notice that the concept of school life, the school itself,
was fundamental to me. As school is a significant part of my daily life, I made two pieces that revolve around the theme of my connection to my school. The first artwork, ‘Destination’, is eleven photographs on foamboard stacked to create a large 3D tower-like sculpture. The Bioinnova building built by Tatiana Bilbao in 2012 was the inspiration, and I was able to reconnect with my younger self through the love architecture and interior design. The photographs were captured outside the school with some images being distorted, and the subject, never actually reached the campus. ‘Destination’ forces the audience to walk around the towering sculpture and successfully conveys the concept that one is never fully aware of their destination and that we may always be searching for belonging. The idea may bring a hint of nostalgia to some viewers, or evoke a maze-like feeling of never knowing where we will end up in our final destination. I chose this piece for my exhibition because it also involves audience movement. Since the photographs are stuck both inside and outside, the audience is forced to move around the sculpture in order to see the photos. This led to my piece “Sundown at Seisen”. Though we all have mixed thoughts on our school, I like to believe school as a place that will always have a spot in my heart. Hence, reaching the last few months of high school, I wanted to use this artwork as a way to commemorate the end of high school by capturing photographs taken on campus.
Mimiko Koshi
No two humans share the same life story. Each individual is unique; preserving their own identity, ideology, faith, memory, and judgement. It is fair to say that each of us generates our distinct ways to perceive every moment differently. It is fascinating to think about the infinite number of tales that people around us and world-wide hold, with some of us deciding to share to the public while others conceal. Having this intriguing thought helped form my artistic practice which was this exact concept of narrating “personal stories”. The artworks in my show have been selected carefully to match the underlying concept and distinctive style. At a glance, the most conspicuous formal aspect that unites all my artworks is the subject matter of a human being. Before starting to form my practice, I was mesmerized by the ability a single
portrait had in connecting with the audience, evoking certain emotions. In addition to this, I believe creating portraits would match my concept since the “personal stories” we hold are passed through communication amongst people. Some of the artworks in which I paid particular attention to the facial expression are - Art is Like Throwing Money Away, Our Childhood, and The Sad Reality. Each of these expressions varies significantly - from despondent, eager, to vicious - to correspond to its respective message. Furthermore, the use of vibrant colors is another stylistic component that frequently appears in my selection, which was heavily inspired by a contemporary artist, Andrew Salgado. In each artwork, the color was utilized to carry different functions. For instance, the vivid colors in Birthday Party evoke a joyful mood which resembles my feelings towards the memories I shared with my brother in our childhood. On the other hand, the color red in The Sad Reality symbolizes feminine and pain - referring to the suffering of female victims from sexual assaults. The exhibition has been curated to allow the audience to have a more engaging and thorough understanding of my work. I intended to start the exhibit with a piece that most accurately depicted the definition of “personal story” and end with an artwork that approached the same idea in a completely different way. As the audience enters my space, they are greeted with; Art is Like Throwing Money Away - which is an artwork that reveals a specific experience I used to keep to myself. My response to exposing my deepest emotion was inspired by Sophie Calle, who explored the concepts of private
and public while simultaneously utilizing art as a form of convalescence. The artwork, Certainty?, is another self-portrait which has a different taste both conceptually and stylistically. Instead of creating a response to confront my feelings, I have illustrated mixed emotions while comparing present worries to child-like ambitions. “Was I the only one feeling this way?” - was a thought that came across my mind that influenced me to create the artwork, JEY. The placement of it being next to Certainty?, acknowledges a new way to approach personal story - as I moved on from self-reflection to sharing a story of my brother. Another perspective is evident in the artwork, Are We Still Beautiful - which carries a similar story-like concept but ends with achieving a more holistic message. Despite how the story narrates the time when my close friend asked if we could still be beautiful with clumsy faces, I was able to take a step further and challenge the traditional way of depicting women “beautifully” in paintings. Lastly, I decided to change the scale to a global approach in The Sad Reality. I have realized that sexual assault was a serious issue that needs to be dealt with yet remains underestimated. The Sad Reality was created in the hope to raise awareness and connect the women around the world who have gone through similar experiences. Ultimately, what I wish the audience can take away from this exhibition, is firstly, to understand the power of narration behind artworks; secondly, to reflect on what they would share as their own “personal story”.
Mimiko Koshi
“Birthday Party “
This artwork was conceptualized after recalling a specific memory from the past - the time when my brother and I fought to blow out my birthday candles! Oh, the childish antics we all can remember on these occasions. Andrew Salgado inspires the ubiquitous motifs and vibrant use of colors. I hope to raise acknowledgments of the memories we create in the present time - as they last forever within us as precious memories.
“Certainty?”
This self-portrait is intended to represent two, juxtaposing feelings I have about my future. The dull background and the enfolding hand posture symbolize the anxious mood I am in, worried that all the choices I make now, will directly affect whom I become in the future. Contrary to that is the ambition of a child and my envisioned possibilities. The concept is illustrated by painting a younger version of myself, employing vivid colors and blurred strokes which are inspired by Davide Cambria.
“Our Childhood”
As I looked through old photographs of family members from the past, every subject was looking straight ahead with a heartwarming expression. When I asked each to reflect upon their early years, every story was filled with exhilaration and laughter. Through the use of vibrant colors and emphasis on the cheery expressions, I was able to symbolize the parallel joy of childhood that is shared through generations over time.
“Promise Me “
The subjects are two students from the Ai Linh Love School in Vietnam. During the Spring of 2018, I partook in the school-organized service trip where our team taught various subjects to the children and exchanged cultures. This series was created after recalling the sentimental feeling I experienced after the students told me on the last day, “promise me you’ll come back.” I hope to get across the message that a single moment like this has the potential to reinforce connections between people.
Emilly Mu
“Can you hear my voice?�
I was trying to show the message that Japanese subculture becoming universal. I drew the famous Vocaloid character Hatsune Miku since she is one of the earliest Vocaloid produced by Japan. To show the theme of universal, I made the dress of her has a black dress with the milky way pattern on it and even the background is representing the space which symbolizes a broader picture.
“umbrella”
I was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and I tried to show the theme of braveness and exploring new things. Since Alice is not afraid of trying new things, I wanted to be like her. Digital drawing is still a new area for me to explore, and I really want to get better at it. Therefore, I tried some techniques to add the shadows of the girl that I have never tried before and made the settings of it unknown to represent the challenges in digital drawing.
“When Cherry Blossoms Bloom”
In this piece, I was trying to express the beauty of Japanes comics. I used sakura flower to be floating in the background to show the Japanese culture. The dress represents the flashy elements that make up the Japanese comics. The floating hair creates a refreshed mood which is often in the mood of most Japanese Shojo Manga (comics for teenage girls).
“the other side”
The message of my piece is the strength of women from ancient time period. I used a dark tone to convey the oppression of woman in the early 19th century. They worked in either factories or family businesses. They are forced to do the unpaid jobs at home which includes cooking, taking care of children, and cleaning. They do not have the freedom to do things that they truely want to. I made the expression of the charactert conveying the rebelling of women to the society at the time.
Emilly Mu
My area of focus is Japanese comics culture which includes modern Japanese animation and comics. Since I am personally interested in the Japanese comic art style and most of my artworks are in this style, I thought about focusing on expressing different themes through it. In my artworks, I express different concepts through symbolism. An example is the piece “傘” (umbrella) which is about a girl falling in the void with a yellow umbrella. I conveyed the message of exploring new things through the illustrated character in this artwork, and since it is also in Japanese comic style, it connects to my area of focus. Also since most of the Japanese animation is fiction, my works also have a common theme of fantasy and unrealistic features. I also look for inspiration
from illustrators such as avogado 6 who stresses social issues through his digital artworks in comic style. I used different mediums in my works such as digital, watercolor and acrylic painting. Since I just started digital painting in 11th grade when I first entered IB, most of my recent works are created through digital media. However, I am still not familiar with it completely. Therefore this is also a chance for me to learn new techniques through exploring it through my work. I choose to display most of my digital works in this exhibition to show the different digital techniques and concepts that I tried to explore. For example, in the piece “Fire”, I tried to establish the contrast between light and shadow. In the piece “私の声、 届いてますか”(Can you hear my voice), I conveyed the controversial idea of whether or not Vocaloid can convey the feelings of a real human. I am planning to place my artworks at eye level for the viewers to look at it closely. I printed out all of them and stuck them onto foam boards to create a 3d visual. I plan to display “The Other side”, “傘”(umbrella), “When Cherry Blossoms Bloom”, “私の声、届いてますか”(Can you hear my voice), and “Positivity” in my final art exhibition since theses works established how I developed my art skills over time.
Fumi Nishimi
In this exhibition, I have explored the concept of “connections”. Throughout my life, I have noticed that many things in this world are built upon connections. For instance, one’s friendship with another may be built upon their similar hobbies, interests and experiences, hence, connections. Not only are there connections between people, but there are also connections between nature and people. The way people live their daily lives can connect to and determine the wellbeing of the earth. An example of this is the choice people have of using public transportation or driving their own car to travel somewhere. If he/she chooses to drive their own car, this may cause the earth to be more polluted. Just like the above, the world is full of cause and effect situations, which are mainly
caused by connections. I have found this concept extremely interesting and knew that I wanted to make artworks based on this concept. Some artists that I was inspired by while making these artworks were Rania Hassan and Amy Casey. Both of these artists use lines in their artworks to represent connections. I incorporated this element in my artworks displayed in this exhibition. Often times, my works of art are mixed media. By using different media, I believe that this is a way to show the audience that different objects and materials can be used to create a single piece of art just like in real life, different people with different cultures and backgrounds can make up a single community. A technique that I use often in my works of art is the use of lines. The motif of lines is often made of differing media, such as thread, wires or pen. Through these lines, I represent my area of focus, connections. I believe that connections are often visually displayed through lines. An example of this is when lines are used in mindmaps to connect different ideas. Just like this, I use lines to represent connections in my artworks. Another visual similarity that my works of art have is the use of calm and duller colours. I rarely use bright and bold colours because I want to give a vintage or nostalgic feeling to the viewers, as connections are something that has been creating the world as it is today, and it is always important to remember that time connects
everything in this world. My works give a spacious feeling because of my use of negative space, such as in “moshi moshi”, because the wire sculpture creates negative space, as well as my pieces “Neighbourhood” and “The next stop is…” as there is no background in these pieces. My overall vision of presenting these artworks are formed around the idea of wanting the audience to connect to my artwork. This is an important motif of mine that I think about in the process of making art. Since my theme is connections, instead of the audience simply looking at an artwork made on connections, I want them to connect to my art as well. I will do this by displaying my wall pieces in an eye-level perspective for them to be able to get an overall view of it. I will also make sure that my three-dimensional piece is placed so it can be seen from a 360-degree angle. This way, I believe that my artworks in this exhibition can connect to the audience.
Fumi Nishimi
“In the hands of my parents”
This piece expresses the darkness that the girl is going through because of her helicopter parents and the psychological damage that comes with parents controlling their children. It represents the girl being in full control of her parents, therefore, in the hands of them, which the title of my piece. I believe that this is an important message to spread because many children are being controlled by their parents, not knowing that being controlled is dangerous to the children.
“moshi moshi?”
This piece shows a common form of connecting with other people, which is using a telephone. I grew up moving around in many cities and one of the things I looked forward to the most was calling my family who lived back in my home country. もしもし？ is a commonly used phrase used in Japanese when one answers a phone call. Since stones are a part of nature, it shows that communication is a part of human nature. The disconnected cord represents miscommunication because not all phone calls are positive.
“Neighbourhood”
This piece represents a neighbourhood. The lines made of strings represent a natural feeling humans have for wanting connections with others. The people living in these individual houses are strangers. However, since humans have a tendency of wanting to feel like they belong and make connections with others to be a part of a community, they create and become a part of a group, such as neighbourhoods.
“Take me home”
Since I have lived in different places, I have different places that I consider home. Through this piece, the concept of having multiple homes is expressed. From an outsider’s perspective, the three places may seem random. However, I personally feel that all three places have the same comforting feeling, with the destinations being my grandparents’ house, a road leading to my father’s home and a cafe I visited often with my friend. The lines that connect the three destinations represent me.
Dara Nitu
“BAM! Your Decision.”
The piece is a statement against the Second Amendment of the United States’ constitution, allowing the possession of arms. The mirror is the primary focus of the work as the viewer sees their own reflection in the barrel of the gun prompting them to place themselves in that situation and search their conscience before pulling the trigger. The missing stars on the left section of the flag symbolize the victims of gun violence while the hearts on the right side emphasize the need for love.
“I am a Woman”
Inspired by Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt, the painting portrays the concept of feminism. The dark background juxtaposes the vivid gold color seen throughout. Conceptually, this mirrors the idea of how women today still face oppression in society. The gold swirls surrounding them are a symbol of strength and prosperity that comes from within and makes the woman the focal point of the composition. This reflects the idea of how women embrace their femininity and disregard societal oppressions.
“Is Left the Right Way?”
Inspired by American pop artist, Alex Gross, “Is Left the Right Way?” portrays how our ignorant lifestyle has turned us into followers of trends set by society. The multitude of faces, looking to the left, represents us and our inability to break free from the habits we have created which may have repercussions on ourselves and our surroundings. The face looking the opposite way provokes people to act accordingly to their own beliefs by showing that we do not have to conform to societal trends.
“Me, Myself and… My Phone”
The artwork depicts the central position which technology occupies in our lives. Our increasing dependence on phones is portrayed through the chaotic array of advertising images surrounding the central silhouette and the iPhone displaying a “like” located in the place of the person’s heart. The colorful commercials juxtapose the monochromatic color of the figure showing how we are at danger of losing our identities as we have become more easily influenced by the media.
Dara Nitu
French painter, Jean Dubuffet, has said, “The real function of art is to change mental patterns... making new thoughts possible.” For me, art is more than an aesthetic; it becomes particularly meaningful when used as a tool to communicate a message to the viewers, leaving an impact on them. I believe that art can create a connection between an individual and the world around us. However, the world we live in is not perfect. We hear about ongoing conflicts, inequalities and discrimination in the news daily. With a bit of optimism, I know that through education and collaboration, the issues we face in the world can be mended slowly one by one. Moreover, inspirational artists such as Lorenzo Quinn, Carrie Reinhardt and Alex Gross have all challenged societal norms and have used art as a means to voice their opinion on certain matters. This ideal has motivated me to base my exhibition on
the concept of using art to make a statement in response to various social problems in the world. The pivotal composition of my exhibition is “No S’ha Acabat! (It’s Not Over!)”, based on the conflict revolving around the Catalan independence movement, as it is the first artwork I had made intending to transmit a statement to the audience. Creating it empowered and allowed me to express my opinions on ongoing social issues through art. These emotive compositions raise awareness of global issues and invite the audience to reflect on their own choices and actions. For example, “Shhh!”, prompts the viewer to give thought to the taboo issue of sexual harassment and the intensity of the pressure on women regarding the reporting process. Another example is “BAM! Your Decision.”, in which the audience comes face to face with themselves, putting them on the spot to think of what it would feel like to pull the trigger of a gun. As my aim is creating art as a statement, the large-scale, colorful nature of my artworks is designed to capture the attention of the audience. Moreover, the use of congested space enabled me to reproduce the intensity of the issues I am portraying. The piece “Me, Myself and... My Phone” contains minimal white space as it depicts the chaotic nature of the media, which surrounds us in our everyday life. Moreover, I used mixed media to portray the chaotic and complex nature of the issues I am responding to through my artworks. A significant recurring motif is the human body, particularly the hands and face, as their representation incorporates the humane aspect of the issues depicted. In general, the fac-
es in my artworks such as in “It’s Just a Color”, “I am a Woman” and “Me, Myself and... My Phone” are not defined through facial features so that the audience can identify with the artworks, strengthening the emotional connection between the individual and the statement. The use of hands in “A World of Dreams”, “An Ironic Fist” and “No S’ha Acabat! (It’s Not Over!)” presents them as man’s ultimate tool. We can destroy with them, or build peace. I have curated my exhibition to create a narrative, and divided it into four parts: the exposition, rising action, climax and falling action. “No S’ha Acabat! (It’s Not Over!)”, the source of my inspiration for my journey, is the first artwork the audience sees. It is followed by seven artworks making up the rising action of the exhibition. I do not want to place them in a particular order as I believe that all portray issues that are equally as important, so one does not deserve more glory than the rest. However, they are all presented at eye level allowing the artworks to speak to the audience and make an impact on them. The most thought-provoking piece or the climax of my exhibition is the short clip “2020”. It is followed by the falling action with “A World of Dreams”. This interactive piece invites the audience to enter a reflective state of mind and contribute by writing a one-word response on the broken CD pieces answering the question, “What do you wish for in the world to make it a better place?”
Yeung Jee Son
Everyone spends their day absorbed in their own cycle of daily life. Some focus on the differences of each day. Others value the conventional patterns they follow. I too, believe that the most important part of our everyday lives. The underlying theme of my artworks is ‘daily life’. Through this topic, I attempted to rediscover the beauty in things that we unintentionally grew indifferent to. I recognize d many of the popular artworks are ones that draw a special occasion or an event. Therefore, when I first came across Kyu-Yung Lee’s artworks, I found them fascinating and was inspired to do the same. Kyu- Yung Lee is a Korean artist and writer. Most of his works are done digitally and consist of a style of comic-illustration. His artworks capture a moment of his everyday life along with the people he considers important to him.
Similarly, it occurred to me that in our consistent pattern of daily life, it is inevitable that we grow indifferent to some of the most important parts of our everyday life. As a student, going to school everyday, meeting the same people, spending hours in the same environment called a ‘school’ is where I spend half of my day. The most fundamental elements such as eating, sleeping, and some of the other obvious things that we do as an instinct everyday, are the most important parts of our daily life. By reflecting on my everyday life, I started to recognize these recurring patterns as the key stone to my daily life. My topic choice was motivated merely by observation. At first, I was intrigued by how many different combinations of daily life patterns that are similar yet unique to each individual, people can have. Then, I attempted to explore ways I could exhibit my daily life in the most condensed, organized form that is both relatable for other people yet unique to myself. Relatively, the selections of my artworks to present in the exhibition not only shows the theme of daily life, but also embodies my identity. Each piece shows a different part of a daily life that could easily be anyone’s. However, everyone has a different combination of these “parts” that make their unique pattern or ‘daily life’. This selection of artworks and order shows a pattern that is unique to my own. This organization is significant as part of presenting my artworks for the fact that It is in no particular order, just one that makes sense to me by instinct. Also, each of the artworks were done in different styles to best express them as part of my daily life. For example, I used similar subject matter in
my illustrations and drew people because I wanted to convey a comfortable, familiar feeling to the audience. I focused on discovering and applying different styles for each of my artworks to buoy up its significance from the level of indifference of people. As part of my style or art, I have drawn at least one human looking figure in each of my artworks. Through this, I wanted to give a subtle emphasis on my throat that though each of our daily lives revolve around the individual, an individual relies on each other to ; ‘daily life’ itself cannot be created solely by an individual. Similarly, artworks such as “family” and “faces”, show the people and faces that I see everyday, and those that have naturally, and rather unconsciously became a part of my everyday life. The styles of my artworks ranges from flat 2D vector art to a semi-realistic style. Because I used different artistic styles in each of the artworks, I tried to show unity by using mediums and colors specific to a few choices. The artworks were organized so it is displayed at the eye-level of the audience, as I wanted to maximize connection between the artwork and its audience. My target audience is different for each artwork, for example, some only fully understood by families, others by friends, etc. Through this, I wanted to show the connection between people and how we all share small parts of our daily routine with someone.
Yeung Jee Son
“Fish tank”
Digital Illustration 42.0 x 59.4 cm A2 photographic luster paper Daily life as a recurring pattern that some may wish to get out of, while others wish to get inside of.
“Family”
Digital Illustration 42.0 x 59.4 cm A2 photographic luster paper People that make black a cozy color.
“Free drinks”
Digital Illustration 42.0 x 59.4 cm A2 photographic luster paper Drinks most bought by Seisen students.
“Finding Seisen”
Digital Illustration 42.0 x 59.4 cm A2 photographic luster paper Japan, Tokyo, Setagaya-ku, Yoga, 1-27-4