Back to the fish!

Back to the fish!

​While preparing for this open call 'Surround Water', I came up with various ideas. However, as he was preparing the painting, he felt something frustrating in a corner of his mind. In most cases like this, you have to freely draw in the direction your heart demands. As always, in cases like this, I come back to the fish.

When I first arrived on Long Island, I thought the state itself looked like a fish. And for the first exhibition, I drew three fish series like the one above. But my fish sales went very well. The gallery owner recommended drawing more of these fish. However, my stubbornness as an artist ultimately led to the stopping of the three fish series. As time passed, I realized that this was not stubbornness in a good direction. As always, it is important to always listen to the opinions of those around you, that is, listen well and be humble. I realized this lesson too late and started drawing fish again. Contrary to my wishes, my fish paintings were always popular. I looked like a painter selling fish on Long Island.

Looking back, my hometown was Jeju Island, an island facing the sea on all sides, and Kobe, Japan, where I spent my childhood, was also a port on an island surrounding the sea. And this place where I completely moved is also an island surrounded by the sea on three sides. Living so close to the sea, I feel the vitality and freedom of the sea and the rough sound of the waves. I drew pictures with this kind of energy.

In this sense, I changed the theme of this exhibition to fish. I don't know how good the results my fish will be, but I'm going to try again with this fish topic.