My work investigates our relationship with the landscape we live in and the traces we leave behind. My original inspiration stems from a profound loss I experienced in my early twenties. Touching my father’s hand after he passed away transformed my perception of the world. Although he looked the same, he felt like a faux person, a mere replica of the man I knew. That moment made me realize that without life, the body is merely a façade, a container devoid of essence. This experience compelled me to question the concept of authenticity and to investigate what might exist beyond superficial perception. Furthermore, it pushed me to explore our desire for immortality.
In the early days of my practice, I worked with materials that directly imitated nature, pushing the boundaries of imitation to evoke life from the artificial. For instance, I created a kinetic sculpture from plastic panels engraved with wood patterns that mimicked the creaking sounds and lifelike motion of an old wooden floor. Another project involved constructing a mausoleum from cardboard that absorbed moisture, gradually deteriorating, despite its resemblance to bricks. My use of artificial materials was a way of connecting the transient nature of life to our surface-oriented and disposable culture. These works used sensory effects to explore the ambiguous boundary between perception and reality, challenging how we perceive materials and their representations.
My more recent works examine the physical limitations of the body and its connection to objects. Inspired by moments where the human body is treated like an object—such as being sterilized during post-mortem care or constrained and manipulated during childbirth—I have been creating works that blur the lines between body and object. These works explore the idea of objects that appear alive and humans that exist as though they were objects. Anthropomorphized objects in my work reflect human existence as a material being. These objects transcend their material form because they carry a human presence, endowing them with a sense of vitality.
I aim to inspire reverence and respect for essence through my work. My goal is not to deceive, but to transform the "image," a reflection of essence, into something alive as a work of art, elevating it into something more essential. Many of my sculptures are hollow or conceal their interiors to emphasize the void beneath the surface of any monumental structure. Opposing states coexist: hollowness within bulkiness, physical lightness within visual heaviness, and immanence within emptiness. These are merely surfaces, yet they may hold much more than what is visible.
Through my work, I hope to immortalize my inner self because art has the power to transcend time and space. Every artwork has a monumental quality, commemorating the artist and their era, while maintaining a timeless aspect. A monument is a physical replacement for an event or person, once the original is absent. Thus, the monument itself becomes an alternative to the original. Ultimately, I aim to connect the superficial and artificial aspects of our lives with the visual arts. An artwork is like a virtual world, where an image begins as an imitation of reality but ultimately possesses its own distinct reality beyond a mere reflection of life. As I continue my journey through my work, I aim to delve into the authenticity that lies beyond superficial perceptions of life and visual art.