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- Park Sun-kyo
Park Sun-kyo (b. 1990, Jeonju, South Korea) is a painter based in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do. His work begins with the anxiety of being unable to define himself as a fixed identity, a condition he describes as “divisive thinking.” Perceiving both the self and others as constantly shifting, he sees people not only as individuals but as worlds unto themselves. Through portraiture, he explores the fluid relationship between self, others, and the worlds they create. His paintings are driven by a desire to overcome fragmentation and to understand, and be understood by others.
HELLO SUN-KYO, GREAT TO HAVE YOU JOIN THE 4BYSIX FAMILY. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT YOUR ART PRACTICE AND THE PIECE YOU HAVE MADE FOR OUR CURRENT VEHICLES FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE.
CAN YOU START BY TELLING US HOW YOUR FASCINATION WITH THE HUMAN FACE BEGAN, AND HOW CAPTURING AN INITIAL IMPRESSION HAS SHAPED YOUR ARTISTIC PRACTICE WE KNOW TODAY?
WHEN BEGINNING A NEW WORK, WHAT ASPECTS OF A PERSON'S EXPRESSION OR PRESENCE ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN CAPTURING, AND WHY?
WHEN CHOOSING SOMEONE TO PAINT, WHAT QUALITIES FIRST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION? ARE THERE PARTICULAR EXPRESSIONS, GESTURES, STYLES, OR ASPECTS OF A PERSON'S CHARACTER THAT MAKE YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THEM FURTHER THROUGH A PORTRAIT?
IN YOUR WORK, INDIVIDUALITY OFTEN APPEARS AS A FORM OF QUIET RESISTANCE TO SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS. WHY IS CELEBRATING INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY IMPORTANT TO YOU AS AN ARTIST?
Park Sun-kyo
Title: "A piece of Babylon" 2026
Size: 55.8 x 39.5cm
Materials: Acrylic on reclaimed bus panel
Rarity: Unique
YOUR CHARACTERS OFTEN COMMUNICATE A STRONG SENSE OF PERSONALITY AT FIRST GLANCE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE ARTWORK YOU MADE FOR YOUR COLLABORATION WITH 4BYSIX?
HOW DID YOU FIND THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING ON A BUS PANEL? DID 4BYSIX’S INITIATIVE AND/OR THE SURFACE SPARK ANY INSPIRATION FOR THE FINAL PAINTING?
AS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE ARTS, IS SUSTAINABILITY SOMETHING YOU THINK ABOUT IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE? WHETHER IN YOUR CHOICE OF MATERIALS, STUDIO PROCESSES, OR THE THEMES EXPLORED IN YOUR WORK?
SINCE THE BUS PANEL PAINTING, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, AND HOW HAS YOUR PRACTICE DEVELOPED IN THAT TIME? LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT FEELS LIKE THE NEXT DIRECTION OR FOCUS FOR YOU ARTISTICALLY?