I have been experimenting with recycled materials for my art. This is related to my childhood life. I grew up watching women in my family busy sewing, mending, and bedding, so I naturally learned machine sewing. Because supplies were scarce at that time, I had to use recyclable materials, and worn socks was good stuff for the Barbie dolls’ skirts, which were my first recyclable artwork. Now, 50 years later, the world is faced with the need to save the planet from human-caused global warming. As an artist, I want to be part of that movement and reduce the consumption of energy and resources while doing my creative activities. In my surroundings, it is easy to find leftovers and packages of food or merchandise that are going to be thrown away. As I see their colors and textures as unique, special, and still gorgeous, I collect these plastics every day and prepare them for transformation, then I cut, wash, and dry them. Those pieces are in various sizes and colors. I regroup them based on colors and textures, then sew and patch them to create the whole artwork. I love to see the harmony of small and insignificant patches, which blend so well together, often making patterns, textures, and unexpected effects such as transparency, shadows, and even 3-dimensional structures. Most of my work is expressed in the composition of lines and planes. I am inspired by Korean traditional and western abstract art. My creativity is often sparked by my imagination from nature, and the world around me. I'm passionate about sustainability and using discarded materials in my work. I hope my art makes people think about their connection to the environment and how we can build a better future together.
about my art
Every day, I see a lot of plastic package materials that are destined to get trashed. However, to my eyes, they look beautiful and unique in colors and textures, so I reuse them with other leftover fabrics and stuff that I have kept in my storage to transform into many meaningful artworks.
Lemmon,lime,avocardo plastic mesh bag
Aluminum Foil snack bag
Plastic Oinion bag
Plastic Produce bag
Bubble bag
Orange bag
'Fresh Talent', Bainbridge Arts & Crafts Interview by Debra Ruzinsky, 2021
12 stops in 2 days: An arts road trip from Edmonds to Bellingham by Brangien Davis, 2021
ArtSEA: An artful mystery on the Kitsap Peninsula coast by Brangien Davis, 2021
Auburn Artist embraces recyclables as her medium of choice by Robert Whale, 2022
Harbor Happenings: Arts Walk returns to downtown Gig Harbor, May 2023