As a life-long artist, I have come to understand that art is simply the result of the creative mind at play with a chosen medium. I approach my work like a child playing with toys, expressing emotions bursting from my heart, ideas arising from my lived experience, or ruminations that become inspirations. Whether I am painting, printmaking, or doing craftwork, I simply engage with my materials until a satisfying result appears, doing art to simply enjoy the process.

Recently, I have been acknowledging my Korean cultural roots, experimenting with traditional hanji mulberry bark paper and following inspiration rising around the Theravada Buddhist philosophy of non-duality or oneness, an expression of the illusion of self and the interconnection of everything. In this regard, I find that the behaviors of fish as they move in schools express physical and spiritual oneness in an interesting way.

As a topic for art, I see fish as representing any type of living being. Their shared motivations and emotions, expressed in synchronized rushes of movement here and there, demonstrate the selfless interconnection of paṭicca-samuppāda—the law of dependent origination that underlies our perceived reality. One of the eight auspicious symbols in Buddhism, fish can represent liberation, freedom of movement, and spiritual freedom from fear and suffering. Happiness, impulsiveness, fertility, and the ability to navigate the world of suffering with ease and joy are all ideas associated with fish. The act of depicting fish in art and symbolism reminds us of the importance of spiritual practice and the pursuit of enlightenment.

Fish and their liquid background world are also fun subjects to address as an artist. They are a topic that opens many possibilities for expressing movement, using calming blues, and playing with washes and gradations of color. I am invited to add imaginative touches like printing with colored thread as a reference to invisible waves and swirls of water, energy, and connection between living beings, or adding items that reflect light in the way of scales, pearls, and other underwater objects.

As I see it, art should move the viewer’s mind. This movement might be positive, negative, or go in some other direction. The point is that a piece of art in some way reflects the viewer’s personal life experiences in the same sense that the principle of oneness positions our outer environment as a reflection of our inner selves. Beyond this unifying philosophy, my art as a physical creative expression always changes due to my curiosity about finding fresh ideas and using new materials and techniques to communicate them.

I never know what direction my work might take in the future. However, one thing that I have always promised myself is to be honest in front of my pieces, and satisfy myself before considering any critical opinions. Pursuing art is a very personal and deep inner communication with myself. I express that communication when creating art, and I open myself to others by sharing my art in the hope that I can touch the viewer’s heart in a spiritual way.