The spring in the park was particularly beautiful, with flowers blooming, and the unfolding nature seemed to brighten even more with a higher saturation. Now, sweat beads on the forehead. While waiting for the cherished spring to return for everyone, I patiently listened to the stories of the artists who are performing the final 'Spring Festival.'

The exhibition will continue until June 7th at Print Bakery The Hyundai Seoul. Perhaps, after this exhibition concludes, the real summer will arrive? While reading the interview with the six artists who sing along with plants, I hope you reflect on what memories have taken place in your spring of 2023.

Artist. Kim Geonju

- What does spring mean to me?
I want to call it excitement. The meeting of cool air and spring sunlight creates a unique scent of spring. It's my favorite season among the four where new vitality is in motion.

- How do you feel about participating in the 'Spring Festival'?
Having the warmth of emotions with these six artists was like experiencing the excitement of spring for the first time together. I feel grateful to be able to exhibit the artwork in a way that is as warm as spring.

- What message do you want to convey to people as we bid farewell to the fully bloomed spring?
Every spring, the cherry blossoms bloom, forsythias blossom, and green leaves sprout from the branches, marking the long-awaited arrival of spring after a cold winter. It's a season that brings excitement and joy. When looking at the four seasons, it seems like spring is the one people anticipate the most. For some, it's the start of a new school year, a time to shed the layers of the cold winter, and a season filled with individual expectations of wanting to take a stroll in lighter clothing. It may also be a season that is cherished and loved by many. Therefore, I hope you all cherish the present moment and enjoy the season, filled with your own unique expectations and love.

- Why did you choose 'plants' as the medium to convey your story?
Looking at the world from the perspective of children, just as that world constantly conveys imagination, plants often provide me with a great deal of inspiration in my current life. It's fascinating to observe trees, especially when my mind is troubled and heavy. Enduring the seasons, trees and plants go through cycles—bare branches in the cold, blossoming leaves in spring—quietly doing their work. They always bring a sense of renewal and consistently provide me with energy, comfort, and happiness. That's why I capture the essence of the plants and trees that inspire me, translating their images into messages on canvas.

Q1. I heard that you build a narrative around the intrinsic value of love in your work. There seems to be a sense of warmth and rhythm in the pieces. Can you point out any aspects in the works showcased in this exhibition where one can feel love?

I hope you can appreciate the vibrant and dynamic representations of plants and trees through the sincere depictions of their sturdy forms and the free yet powerful lines and drawings.

Q2. You've been involved in numerous collaborative projects and exhibitions. With the current spring as a starting point, is there a new field or area that you would like to explore or try?

I enjoy expressing the messages I want to convey through my work in various places. Due to COVID-19, there have been limitations on collaborative projects with people, but in the future, I plan to engage in workshops to connect with people. Additionally, I am considering a solo exhibition and creating an art book next year. Until now, I have been focused on immediate tasks, and I regret not being able to share stories about my work. Therefore, I am eager to create an art book where pictures and messages coexist, providing a different way to convey my messages.

Artist. Baek Duri

- What does spring mean to me?
A quiet anticipation before revealing the abundant shadows: the starting line.

- How do you feel about participating in the 'Spring Festival'?
Spring is a delicate time when green shadows gradually emerge from the cool branches. I'm delighted to express the vitality of spring through expanding shadows. In the 'Meeting' series, I first depicted the leaf shadows on the path, reaching towards the light. 'Meeting 4,' which I created for this exhibition, was done with the feeling of bidding farewell to spring as if going out to meet it.

- What message do you want to convey to people as we bid farewell to the fully bloomed spring?
Plants endure the harsh and cold winter quietly, feeling the warm energy of spring throughout their bodies, and begin their activities for the year. Humans, too, are natural constituents and were born to align with it. I hope you entrust yourself to the flow of nature and thoroughly enjoy the vitality of spring.

- Why did you choose 'plants' as the medium to convey your story?
"Plants often carry a static and passive image, and small grass, in particular, may seem delicate. However, the plants I've observed make efforts to thrive in any environment. They humbly accept what is given to them, steadfastly overcome challenges, and prepare for another version of themselves, even if it's not visible on the surface. Despite appearing to bend or be trampled upon externally, beneath the soil or in the unnoticed air, they are silently preparing for another resilient version of themselves. They are spirited and proactive, never succumbing or avoiding challenges. Even if others perceive them as fragile, their resilience and tenacity always leave a lasting impression.

Q1. 'Plants unfold their leaves in their own ways to collect light to survive.' The first sentence of the artist's note was quite impressive. Generally, leaves are associated with freshness and hope, positive themes. In the story you want to convey through your artwork, how are 'leaves' breathing and living?

Plants exhibit a desire for life, struggle, survival instincts, and an active attitude throughout their bodies, with leaves playing a crucial role as they directly engage with the nourishing light. In their quest for life, plants transform and evolve the shapes of their leaves in various ways, reaching higher, wider, and in more diverse forms to maximize their intake of vital light. In this process, they sometimes compete with surrounding plants and, at times, cooperate by making concessions. Leaves, in addition to being simply vibrant and beautiful, embody a fierce determination and a marvelous attitude towards life. I capture the shadows cast by these leaves, a result of their efforts, in my artwork.

Q2. I've heard that you have published numerous picture essays. With the lively 'Spring Festival' coming to a close and summer on the horizon, do you have any essay recommendations from your collection that you would like to suggest?

The coexistence of opposing elements, such as boundaries and interest, concealment and exposure, chance and intention, light and darkness, is explored through words and drawings in my work. The essay 'The Balance of Honesty' also discusses the juxtaposition of concealment and revelation, reflecting on where I should appropriately position myself. This book suggests finding a balance together, sometimes concealing and at other times revealing, without providing definitive answers. In the process of seeking the right balance of honesty, I recommend reading this book during this summer. The summer sun is intense and hot, scorching the leaves of plants and sometimes leaving us disoriented. In the heat, it's easy to lose focus and reveal ourselves in an unadorned way. Despite the discomfort of exposing honesty and feeling embarrassment, the vibrant heat of summer and the blazing sun can be a good excuse. Embrace the honesty, and even in the face of vulnerability, consider it a result of the passionate heat and the blazing sun of summer.

Artist. Yoo Ji-hee

- What does spring mean to me?
It's a new beginning. The new green sprouts vividly assert their presence as they meet the warm spring sunlight. When winter arrives, they fade away, only to bloom anew with the arrival of spring, showcasing a cyclical pattern that reflects the passage of time.

- How do you feel about participating in the 'Spring Festival'?
I am delighted to exhibit various artworks that share the same sensibility and draw inspiration from nature. In the midst of a busy life, I hope that taking a moment to appreciate the artworks depicting the encountered spring becomes a time to pause and breathe at a different pace.

- What message do you want to convey to people as we bid farewell to the fully bloomed spring?
I hope people never forget the initial excitement of starting something new. That feeling may involve tension, excitement, or even fear. In life, recalling the enthusiasm of starting when people feel tired and exhausted can provide the strength to keep going. In whatever people do, I wish that reflecting on the initial spark of starting becomes a source of motivation for them.

- Why did you choose 'plants' as the medium to convey your story?
Time is the overarching theme of the artwork. The landscape in the far distance within the space represents the distant past and serves as the background. The plants in the foreground, seemingly obstructing the immediate view, symbolize the present. The closest plant and the abstract touches, depicted as if swaying in the gentle, unseen breeze when viewed, represent the continuously flowing time.

Q1. The artworks of artist Yoo Ji-hee convey a feeling as if gazing absentmindedly out of the window of a suddenly embarked solo journey's accommodation. There is a profoundly comforting emotion with the surroundings both inside and outside enveloped in nature. Is there a specific reason for incorporating a frame within the artwork?

The artwork reconstructs various places and times that were directly experienced. The frame and the distant natural landscape serve as a passage of thoughts where the past, present, and future coexist. It portrays a contemplative landscape, reminiscent of an oasis, recalling the sense of tranquility experienced in universal natural landscapes.

The interviews with participating artists Yoon Deokhwan, Jo Mihyeong, and Heo Bori will continue in Part 2.

Group Exhibition 'Spring Festival'
When | 2023.5.18(thu) - 6.7(wed)
Where | PBG The Hyundai Seoul(2nd floor of The Hyundai Seoul)
Time l 10:30AM-8PM (Friday, Saturday, Sunday 8:30PM)
Inquiry l 02-3277-0283