[비즈한국] The '2024 Busan International Art Fair (BIAF)', an art market where artists and consumers trade directly, is being held at the BEXCO Exhibition Center II in Busan until the 8th. This year, works by 50 emerging artists—a 40% increase from last year's 34—are on display. Bizhankook met with artists Kang Myung-sook, Jung Yeon-hee, and Kim Yi-rin, who participated in the special exhibition 'K-ART Emerging Artists Exhibition'. We introduce the interview with artist Jung Yeon-hee.
―You showcased cityscapes when you participated in the 'Korean Art Support Project'. Why are you showcasing only nature landscapes at this art fair?
I mainly submitted works expressing wild daisies (fleabane). Just because it's a city doesn't mean there are no wild flowers. They are small and easy to miss, but if you look closely, there are plenty of wild daisies in the city center as well. So, they could be natural landscapes within a city, or they could be natural landscapes in the countryside. In other words, the works are not restricted to a specific space.
―The main material of your work is 'ramie'. What does it signify?
I use 'ramie', a natural fabric that our ancestors used to make clothes, as my main material. Since ramie clothing is rare these days, it might be considered an unremarkable material, but to me, 'ramie' represents 'serenity' and 'stability'. I felt those emotions when I first encountered ramie, and I have been continuing my work by seeking out 'serenity' and 'stability'. I believe the most important thing in art is one's 'attitude toward life'. My own attitude toward life, Jung Yeon-hee's life, lies exactly in 'serenity' and 'stability'. In other words, I have reflected my attitude toward my life through 'ramie'.
―Then, what is the meaning of the 'wild daisy'?
There was the anxiety that has constantly weighed me down while living as an 'artist', and the sense of loss and helplessness I felt from the recent successive partings with my family. My self-esteem dropped, and I found myself looking at the ground more often while walking. Then one day, I happened to see a small wild daisy growing between the cracks in a corner. The landscape created by a cluster of small flowers was as beautiful as a galaxy of stars blooming on the ground. That was when I realized that small moments in everyday life can gather to create great joy. I used 'ramie'—a natural fabric that is warm and comfortable yet has a rustling, coarse texture—as a material to express a simple but powerful strength.
―What would you like to say to those who purchase or appreciate your work?
I hope my work reaches those who are standing on the boundary of an ambiguous and awkward instability—not necessarily unhappy, but not completely happy either; feeling satisfied one moment and filled with anxiety the next. They are people just like me. I hope that through the sense of achievement gained from our collective efforts to notice the joys of small moments, our anxious hearts can recover, and we can all live a 'comfortable life' filled with a solid sense of stability.