Mommy Elephant 1780 mm x 760 mm x 2, 2018, Acrylic on canvas
Last winter, I went to Thailand with Dad and my younger brother Wootae. I think I’ll always remember the day we spent with the elephants. In the place we visited, the elephants are happy, but many elephants in Thailand suffer terrible abuse. I wish not just elephants, but all animals, could live together in happiness.
Daddy Elephant 1780 mm x 760 mm x 2, 2018, Acrylic on canvas
We’re all different, but we have many things in common. And one of those is love.
My Younger Brother and Me 2019, Acrylic on canvas, 50F
My younger brother Wootae takes a pee wherever he happens to be. “You shouldn’t do that,” I scold. But then I take a pee there beside him.
Brother and me 2 2024, Acrylic on canvas, 50F
Woo-tae looks so disappointed after dropping his ice cream,
and I just can’t enjoy mine comfortably on my own.
"Here! You take mine! I don’t need it—I’m fine without!"
Snakes Have Families, Too 1850 mm x 500 mm, 2018, Pencil on paper
Snakes are scary animals that eat little animals, but they also have families to look after. The snake that has to go so far in search of food has eggs to protect at the end of its tail. Seeing snakes behave in that way reminded me of how Dad goes out and works hard to take care of his family.
Mom and Son 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 50F
I drew myself with Mom because I like her. I like falling asleep in her warm embrace. Whenever I’m upset or having a hard time, one hug from her wipes away all my worries and pain.
Missing Mom (War Orphans) 2020, Acrylic on wood, 1220mm x 900mm
I can’t imagine losing my mom and being left all alone. If I think about it even for a second, my heart seems to stop beating. But there are many children on the other side of the planet who have lost their mother and father and been left alone. How they must miss their parents! How they must cry! I’m sorry. I’m just so sorry.
A Couple of Birds 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 20Fx2
Mom and Dad—if they hadn’t met, would my family be here today? A couple of birds flying freely through the sky represent Mom and Dad’s happy memories, when it was just the two of them, before they had me and my siblings. I’m thankful to Mom and Dad for leaving behind their freedom and peace and giving birth to us siblings.
The Ones Who Raise Me Up
Because of Mom and Dad, I can see a bigger world and dream bigger dreams. Thank you. I love you.
2018 Acrylic on wood 1220 mm x 1800 mm
To Mom 1
Mom!
It’s hard to say how thankful I am that you gave birth to me. Thanks to you, I get to see such a beautiful world, meet such wonderful people, experience such amazing things, taste such delicious food, and dance with such a fresh breeze wrapped around me. I’m so thankful for this moment, as I move forward toward the countless dreams that lie before me.
Mom! If not for you, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything . . . . Thank you so much for making me, so that I can think whatever I want and go wherever I please.
2020, Acrylic on canvas, 50F
A Mother’s heart
My little sister Yujeong, the third of us siblings, goes to a special needs school. One day, when Mom and I took Yujeong to school, I happened to see a mother who had brought an older boy to school. The mother stood there for a while to watch her son go inside. Several thoughts passed through my head while I was watching. I imagined that the boy wasn’t walking to school, but down the lonely path of life that lies ahead of him. The mother watching her son must have been crying on the inside. She must have been shedding tears of a love too deep to be expressed in words. I wanted to capture that mother’s feelings in my picture.
2019, Acryli c on canvas, 1615 mm x 1300 mm
2020 Acrylic on canvas1220 mm x 1600 mmThe Person Who Helps Me Learn to Love
Sometimes the thought that I’m alone makes me sad. When that happens, I go over to hear Mom talk. She tells me that the birds flying so far away aren’t alone, because they fly with the wind and feel the warmth of the sun.
Mom says we can’t live without help from other people, without somebody to love. She says I’m already living for people who need me . . . .
It’s comforting to give our hearts to others and get their hearts in return. When we’re in pain or having a hard time, we can feel other people’s concern. When we depend upon other people and tell them about our sadness and difficulties, they tell us how much they love and care about us. The love we feel in their words makes us strong again. That’s how we learn to love and how to give that love to others.
We don’t have one feeling at a time. Our faces alternate between two feelings—the way we feel about ourselves and the way we feel about other people. I want there to be warmth and affection in my feelings for myself and my feelings for other people, just as I see on Mom’s face . . . .
I’m learning that kind of love.
A Parent’s love
Is there a love greater and deeper than a parent's love?
It burns with all its heart, shaping me
both sharply and gently,
so that I can stand strong on my own.
It makes my fragile heart and mind stronger.
This is only possible because of that love.
Every moment, I grow within it.
When the harsh world tries to push me away,
it hides the deep fears and worries in my heart,
holding me close with a love so tender,
as if I were forever a soft, little child.
It embraces me deeply,
so that I don't have to feel that fear…
Our House. 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 50F
I think of our house as a wonderful tiny box holding the most precious things. Our house transforms into several things. It sometimes turns into an amusement park, and sometimes into a dormitory. A workshop, a café, an open field . . . It can turn into anything you can think of.
It’s the most precious place in the world, the place I like the most, the place I go when I’m really struggling, the place I can rely on.
It’s the place where my most precious people live, the place I can rest to my heart’s content when I’m having a hard time. It’s the place where I can talk without any worries or secrets, the place we can laugh together and cry together. That’s why I love our house.
Our House 5 2024, Acrylic on canvas, 50F
Let’s take a little break with the flowers. 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 80F