Hangeul-gak, a personal style in which I strive for perfection
The basic forms and colors of the Hangeul character system hold symbolic meanings.
Color and line conceal as much as they reveal. Poetry acquires language on its own, yet it also erases as much. My work stems from the relational tension between belief and loss. It is about acknowledging the value of difference and harmonizing it. A world that achieves harmony by affirming difference is expressed through the Hangeul characters that define my art and design style.
Hangeul is a unique and easy-to-learn writing system and Korea’s first systematic design. Based on these fundamental concepts, I researched ‘Hangeul-gak’ and explored it through combinations of basic design shapes (triangles, circles, and squares) and colors (white, blue, red, yellow, and orange). In ‘Hangeul-gak,’ ‘gak’ means ‘angle,’ ‘corner,’ ‘edge,’ and ‘plane.’ Various basic design shapes form right angles at their corners to create characters, and these abstracted characters come together to form words.
The development of Hangeul, the Korean writing system, began with a basic form symbolizing the trinity of heaven, earth, and man, which became the basis for the shapes of the vowels and the tongue’s position during pronunciation. Building on this fundamental originality, a basic design model was developed that connects Hangul and the Hangeul-gak system, expressing the simplicity and beauty of Korean design.
Solo Exhibitions
- 2010, More Poster Works, at Wallace L. Anderson Gallery, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts
- 2010, Poster Works, at Gallery FAB, The University of Missouri St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- 2006, Hangeul-gak 2, at Main Gallery, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut
- 2005, Hangeul-gak, at Main Gallery, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California
