HELLO OH KYEONG-HOON, WELCOME BACK TO THE 4BYSIX FAMILY, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE VEHICLES FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE AND FOR TAKING SOME TIME TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. 

GOING BACK TO THE START WHERE A DESIRE TO TALK TO A GIRL LED YOU TO ENROLL IN AN ART ACADEMY AND RECEIVING UNEXPECTED PRAISE FROM A TEACHER BECAME A LIFE-CHANGING MOMENT, COULD YOU TAKE US BACK TO THAT TURNING POINT AND SHARE HOW THAT EARLY EXPERIENCE OF RECOGNITION AND JOY SHAPED THE FOUNDATIONS OF YOUR ART PRACTICE AND THE HOPEFUL WORLDS YOU CREATE TODAY?

There is a saying, "Praise makes even a whale dance." Everyone feels good when they are complimented, but for me, it was a life-changing experience. As a child, I was something of a "troublemaker" and had rarely, if ever, heard words of praise. That moment at the art academy was the first time in my memory that I received genuine recognition. Some scholars argue that living for the sake of others' recognition leads to an unhappy life. I respectfully disagree. We are social beings who live alongside one another, and the opinions of others matter. That early praise was the engine that first moved me. However, the "hope" I discuss in my work today is different from the lighthearted joy I felt back then. Before becoming an artist, I was an entrepreneur. I lost everything due to embezzlement by a business partner. While many have faced even greater hardships, it was a period of profound darkness for me - betrayal by someone I trusted, the collapse of my financial credit, and the desperate struggle for survival. Ironically, it was in that deepest despair that I became obsessed with "hope." The hope I express now actually began as a necessity; it was the only way I could keep myself alive.

YOUR PAINTINGS ARE INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE FOR THEIR LUMINOUS, LAYERED COLOUR PALETTES, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR CHOICE AND TREATMENT OF COLOR CONNECTING TO YOUR RECURRING THEMES OF DREAMS, HOPE, TRANQUILITY, AND GROWTH, AND WHAT ROLE DOES COLOUR PLAY IN SHAPING THE EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE OF YOUR WORLDS?

Within the emotion of "hope," an immense variety of feelings and situations coexist. When I reflect deeply on the word, I find joy, despair, earnestness, effort, and even a sense of frantic chaos. Colors leap out of my mind to match these specific states. I tend to use a lot of pastel tones, which I suppose is a matter of personal taste. I may look like a rugged "mountain bandit" on the outside, but perhaps there’s a little girl living inside me! (Haha) To give an example, pink appears frequently in my paintings. The spectrum of pink is incredibly broad; it’s not a uniform, singular color. When pink darkens, it can turn into a deep magenta or plum that resembles the color of blood. At the same time, we use pink as the color of hearts and the symbol of love. When I use or think of pink, I contemplate the duality of all things - the idea that bad must exist for good to be defined. For me, color is a language that visualizes these intertwined layers of life.

YOU’VE MENTIONED BEING DEEPLY INSPIRED BY ARTISTS SUCH AS JAMES JEAN, AUDREY KAWASAKI, AND CASIMIR. HOW DO THESE ARTISTIC INFLUENCES SHAPE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT COMPOSITION, SUCH AS THE ARRANGEMENT OF FIGURES, SPATIAL  BALANCE, AND VISUAL STORYTELLING, WHEN YOU BEGIN BUILDING A PAINTING?

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever consciously analyzed the placement of figures or spatial balance in a technical way. I’m not really that analytical of a person! (Haha) I was simply captivated by the overall atmosphere of their work. I call these three artists "The Masters" because their paintings are truly fantastical. When I first started painting, I wanted to capture that same aura- that dreamy, yearning, and fantastical feeling they convey. But as I think about it now, I realize that my work naturally strives for a sense of narrative figure placement and spatial equilibrium. I suppose those influences have been internalized over time, guiding me to build worlds that feel both storied and balanced, even if I'm not calculating it step by step.

TOUCHING UPON YOUR FOUR CORE THEMES: DREAMS, HOPE, TRANQUILITY, AND GROWTH AND 4BYSIX’S VISION TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN THE VISUAL ARTS, DO YOU CONSIDER THE CONDITION OF THE WORLD’S ENVIRONMENT AS PART OF THE EMOTIONAL LANDSCAPE YOU’RE RESPONDING TO?

To be honest, rather than shouting vague slogans like "Protect the environment!", I approach this from a human-centered, existential, and Buddhist perspective. There is a profound teaching that "the entire universe is a creation of the mind (Ilche-yusimjo)." In this sense, the universe and the Earth exist because we are here to perceive and embrace them. If the environment is destroyed, the stage upon which our consciousness exists also vanishes. Therefore, I believe "sustainability" can be expanded to the question of "human sustainability." Even if I don’t explicitly state it in my work, I find myself drawing only natural elements. I conceptualize my pieces while walking or hiking in nature; it’s an intuitive process where my inner peace synchronizes with the external landscape. For me, nature is not just a 'resource' to be protected, but the very foundation of the "hope" and "tranquility" that allows our existence to continue.

YOU RECENTLY MADE A PIECE FOR 4BYSIX ON SOME DISCONTINUED LORRY TARPAULIN, DID THE NATURE OF THE MATERIAL INFLUENCE THE NARRATIVES OR SYMBOLISM WITHIN THE WORK YOU MADE?

Working on tarpaulin was a very meaningful experience for me. Unlike canvas or paper, tarpaulin does not have an absorbent quality, which meant my usual techniques wouldn't work in the same way. This challenge pushed me to deeply study various mediums and their physical properties once again. It was a valuable time for me to grow as an artist. Finding the right balance to express my vision on such a non-traditional surface allowed me to expand my technical range. This process of adaptation and discovery became an integral part of the work's story—proving that artistic "hope" and "growth" can be realized on any foundation through exploration and persistence.

YOU’VE DESCRIBED MUSIC AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS AND HOW DIFFERENT GENRES HELP YOU SHAPE THE EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE OF EACH PIECE. WHEN YOU WERE CREATING THE WORK FOR 4BYSIX, WHAT WERE YOU LISTENING TO IN THE STUDIO, AND HOW DID THAT MUSIC INFLUENCE THE RHYTHM, ENERGY, OR MOOD OF THE PAINTING?

During the creation of this piece, I listened to "Sur une chanson en français - Paradis” on repeat. I don’t speak French or any European languages, so I assume the lyrics are in French, but I can't be sure! (Haha) Because of this, the song felt like an instrumental piece to me.

Since I wasn't distracted by the meaning of the words, I could focus entirely on the rhythm and the texture of the sound. From that melody, I felt a profound sense of dreaminess and a "yearning for something more." This mood naturally seeped into the canvas, guiding the rhythm of my brushstrokes and the energy of the colors. The music acted as a bridge, helping me translate that abstract feeling of longing into the visual language of "The Flower Sermon."

THOUGH YOUR WORK DOES NOT DIRECTLY CRITICISE SOCIETAL STRUCTURES, YOU USE BRIGHT VISUAL LANGUAGE THAT ENCOURAGES HOPE AND REFLECTION FOR PEOPLE WITH A SHARED EXPERIENCE. GIVEN THIS PERSPECTIVE AND APPROACH, WHAT CONTINUES TO DRIVE YOU TO MAKE ART TODAY? IS IT A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, PERSONAL HEALING, FAITH IN HOPE AS A FORCE FOR CHANGE, OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT KEEPS YOU RETURNING TO THE CANVAS?

My art certainly began as a form of personal healing. However, my work does not carry grand discourses or complex philosophies. Rather, I see my practice as the act of "packaging" our everyday lives—the stories we all live through—in a brighter, more hopeful light.

Everyone lives in different environments and holds different professions, but ultimately, we are all human. I focus on these shared human narratives. I tend to believe that the hardships I've faced are things my contemporaries also experience. Life is not easy; we all carry our own burdens. That is why I want to keep saying, "Let’s live with a peaceful mind." Lately, I’ve been thinking that surviving and staying alive is a far more incredible feat than achieving something "great."

In my Artist Statement, I describe my work with this hope: "I hope my art reaches someone as a trophy celebrating the struggles they have overcome, and to another, as a milestone illuminating the path ahead." My drive is this ongoing quest to find and share the way to a better, more peaceful life through these "brightly packaged" human stories.

LASTLY, CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU ARE AND HOW LIFE IS IN THE STUDIO? ARE YOU WORKING ON ANY NEW IDEAS OR PROJECTS?

Currently, I am going through a period of significant transition. I am preparing to move out of my long-time studio and embrace a new environment. While this decision involves practical challenges, I do not see it as a setback. Instead, I believe it is a necessary process of "emptying" to fill my work with even greater energy. It aligns deeply with my philosophy that surviving and adapting in this life is, in itself, a magnificent achievement. I plan to take a moment of pause to breathe and reflect. During this time, I will examine the "sustainability" of my own art and practice, striving toward even better work. I believe that within this stillness, a new project, one deeply infused with my renewed thoughts and emotions will naturally begin. I am staying resilient, and my heart is always moving toward the next canvas.