Artist’s statement
This work begins with gwanjo, a practice of quiet, contemplative observation. Through it, I try to recognize the beauty and meaning of things by waiting for them to reveal themselves. Photography gives form to this waiting, bringing space, time and the subject together.
The city is filled with people moving through it, each carrying memories and stories. They may remain anonymous to one another, yet their lives are connected to the places they pass through. The landscapes in these photographs hold those accumulated encounters. I ask whether a photograph made through contemplation can offer a beauty that extends beyond my own experience and can be shared with others.
I began to notice the traces people leave behind. Even a brief passage through a place seems to change it, just as a scent can linger after its source has gone. In a city of constant movement, I pause to consider these residual presences and the stories they suggest.
My photographs describe flows of light and space rather than sharply defined figures. Clarity is not essential to what I want to convey. A presence can remain meaningful without being fully visible. What matters is the sense that someone was there, even when the evidence is faint.
The people who pass by, laughing, crying, angry or expressionless, come into contact with the spaces around them. A photograph of that encounter might resemble an ordinary city view. Through this contemplative approach, I try to look beyond a passing moment toward the meanings that remain. For me, art is a process of giving form to meanings that have not yet been realized. Photography allows me to attend to these traces and share what they reveal.
