Jongwook Park
September 5 - October 31, 2024
Opening Reception September 5, 7-9PM
Artist's Talk October 31, 7PM at Western University
Upon immigrating to Canada in my thirties from South Korea, I strive to develop my artistic vision rooted in my cultural background, while also embracing the connections I make in my new environment. By blending traditional Korean folk art, modern graphic novel aesthetics, and scattered Korean alphabets as migration patterns and portable ornamentation, I delve into the complexities of fragmentation and question cultural expectation.
In the project 'Breathing Words | 날숨', my main objective is to design transitional spaces that underscore the flexibility of human nature through flat, dimensional, and rigid forms. By employing diverse mediums and structures, I want to create visual nuances that emerge when navigating between my native language and acquired languages (French and English), which involves understanding social customs, cultural subtleties, and the art of negotiation while also reflecting my own cultural background. As someone more proficient in visual language than verbal language, I aim to visually capture the emotional and psychological complexities of my immigrant journey that revolve around communication.
Bio:
Jongwook Park, an artist who moved to Canada from South Korea, earned an MFA in Communication Design from Sangmyung University in Seoul and a diploma in Animation Art and Design from LaSalle College in Montreal. Park utilizes his continuous exploration of his cultural background to connect his immigrant journey, utilizing drawings as a thinking hat. His challenges with acquiring new languages as an adult immigrant have led him to reflect on the impact of language on personal identity.
Park's work has been showcased in various exhibitions and publications across Japan, South Korea, Finland, Canada, and the United States. Most recently, he has had two solo exhibitions in Ottawa at the Ottawa School of Arts and the Korean Cultural Centre. He is set to hold consecutive solo shows at Maison de la Culture Maisonneuve in Montreal and Eastern Edge Gallery in St. John's, Newfoundland Labrador, until 2026.
*The artist would like to express appreciation for the support of the Canada Council for the Arts in bringing this exhibition to life.
Photo by Derick M Darby.
FCG is partnering with the Department of Visual Arts at Western University to host Jongwook Park's artist's talk as part of the Art Now! Speaker Series. All lectures are free and open to the public. This series is also generously supported by The Faculty of Arts and Humanities. More information coming soon.