Jin Park

My art stems from a childhood captivated by M.C. Escher and René Magritte, fueled by a yearning to inhabit their impossible worlds. This desire drove me to create my own “spaces” for shared wonder and discovery. From 2019-2023, I developed a distinctive technique of layering and patterning with acrylics and charcoal to creating resonant spaces that balance opposing elements – organic/geometric, bold/nuanced, dry/wet, light/dark – where tension and movement converged. Moving inward during creative challenges, I explored my “comfort zone”, examining how layered experiences reside within these spaces and connect to others. Evolving from the metaphor of “corner in a box”, my work investigates how external interactions shape our inner spaces. I visualize the comfort zone’s dynamic reaction to external forces as it reconstructs memories, experiences, and values, leaving new traces of change and growth. My 2023 piece, “Sky in Swimming Pools: My Earliest Memory”, inspired by first memory (floating in a sunlit swimming pool, gazing at the sky), exemplifies this exploration. This multi-panel work examines how memories become embellished and reinterpreted over time, detaching from their original context while gaining new meanings. This exploration of memory, as the accumulated history within our “comfort zones”, remains central to my practice. My material process reflects these ideas. I utilize diverse materials to represent external influences and internal memories, focusing on the new boundaries and spaces created by overlapping transparent and translucent materials. Layering embodies the flow and accumulation of time, reflecting individual reaction and transformation. I depict memory’s instability of by re- transcribing and decontextualizing images (memories), further blurring and fading them. Re-purposing fragments from my previous printmaking and drawing works through collage further visualize the dynamic interplay between self and world, seeking harmony within this exchange. My initial question of memory in inner space now expands to explore communication and exchange with the external world, with future explorations delving into the interaction of multiple “comfort zones” and the deeper reuse of imagery. Through this artistic journey, my works invite contemplation on time’s profound impact, personal experiences, and growth within the creative process, revealing the unexplored depths of our inner spaces. Join me to discover your own space within.