on a bed of thistles

on a bed of thistles (2020) | 100cm x 100cm | acrylic, hand dyed cotton threads on raw canvas

‘On a bed of thistles’ portrays the feeling of depression. The body solidifies and is held down by the darkness above. Although being uncomfortable, moving creates the risk of being hurt by the surrounding thistles. Not able to get up, I cling to a gold string of hope. Meanwhile, the chrysanthemum provides the glimpse of optimism, longevity, fidelity, joy, what I yearn for, and what is possible.

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spirit illness series

The Spirit Illness series explores my long-suffering of a spiritual and metaphysical experience. For most of my life, I endured a series of unexplained symptoms such as undiagnosable depression, extreme fatigue, alcoholism, dreaming and seeing of spirits, and precognitions. Finally, I was diagnosed with a culturally-specific spirit illness, known in Korea as ‘Sinbyoeng’ (신병). The Spirit Illness series began in 2019, and fortunately, the symptoms were diagnosed and treated successfully through a shamanic ritual in July 2020.

​The series mostly includes self-portraits with snakes and animal symbolism. It is a growing body of work, as there are many more stories yet to be told.

spirit illness: the hunt (2020) | 120cm x 90cm | acrylic, hand-dyed cotton thread on linen.

spirit illness: slump (2020) | 90cm x 120cm | acrylic, hand-dyed cotton threads on raw canvas.