Jeong-Ah Zhang
Artist Statement
My life is itself who I experience and it is evidence of my life.
The oriental Buddhist philosophy that all things works mysteriously without a true substance is the basis of my work, but I am an atheist. My life and art are based on my own philosophical thoughts and experiences. I am interested in the philosophy of immanence and transcendence on all beings, and my works use symbols, metaphors and imagery in the metaphysical world to express phenomena such as the nature of life, or the principle of the universe.
The universe repeats the cycle of creation and extinction. And I think that the universe is the consciousness, unconsciousness, the borderland of consciousness, the five senses, awareness and transubconscious state of mind. Therefore, I try to listen to all the conceptions of all things, have an open mind, and remember what resonates, and this is how I work. It's a soul resonance beyond the time frame. Basically, this means that I try to focus on the essence of life by establishing core values, and at the same time, I am trying to sublimate it into my works. Philosophical considerations on a visible world and an invisible world.”
What’s your background?
A voyage in time and space, Space is a wondrous thing that has no boundaries, And at the same time eliminate the meaning of time and space. It was a magical scenes, startling clarity, breathtaking subtlety, and a transcendental experience for me. Clearly, It was one of the most important moments of my life, and that beginning, a first-hand experience of magical realism when I was a kid about eight years old. Looking back now on that period of my history, I see plainly enough that it was a foreshadowing of my own identity. And, my inner voice reminds me of this every so often, and it still has a major effect on my life. (My work ‘A Nap’ (2010) is one of the works that embodies my experience of that period after a very long time has passed.)
As someone who was a teenager in the 80's, I was very quiet at that time and was more interested in literature and philosophy than art. After that, while attending Ewha Womans University in Seoul Korea, majoring in fine arts, I also won the University Literature Award for three consecutive years separately from my major. After graduating from university, I went backpacking trip to about 30 countries by myself over a few years. During that span, I even seriously thought about being a Buddhist monk with profound questions about life and death(-creation and extinction).
What does it mean to you to win the Collectors Art Prize?
As an artist, so far I've won awards in many international competitions, and I'm grateful for all of them. And I'm especially grateful to Contemporary Art Curator Magazine and Contemporary Art Collectors, and it's an honor to receive this award 'Collectors Art Prize'. Because I think that they're equitable members action group, whose artistic expertise and professionalism is outstanding.
But regardless, to me an award is just an award. I mean, For me art is an end in itself. I'm not working art to make money from it.
What do you think is the role of art in the world today?
(As I said in an interview with Contemporary Art Collectors a few months ago,) Taking into account the diversity of artists and art in all its various forms.. If you don't mind, I'd like to change this question a bit differently, Once again basically and fundamentally, “What is Art?” And I‘d answer it this way. “The true artist face the timeless truth.”
Art is a question without single and absolute answer, but there is a truth that goes beyond knowledge, relationships, status and stature and roles. And that truth is more important than every fact and phenomenon.
What would it be if you could change one thing about the art world?
I lay awake long last night. And for several hours of this morning I lay motionless on my bed, as if it was dead.. I was just looking at the sky. The same sun. This very
spring day.. the same sun was in my eyes. About 4.7 billion years ago, when the universe was already 10 billion years old, our sun and planets were born. The same sun.. Today, on the same tracks, the sun shines. And the same, but different sun will be shining on the new world. Always has and always will be.
Still, when remembering the memory of seeing the interconnected nature of all things, I can't help but "feel" the greater pattern. But sense cannot arrive to the inwardness of things. We can only know what is true when we realize what is importance to us beyond what our senses perceive. Regrettably, in today's society, many people have forgotten that it's what's inside a person that counts, not what's on the outside. And the case is the same for the art world.
People often say that there’s nothing new under the sun, but there’re lots of old things we don't know. There are various ways of change. I think what‘s more important than an intentional change is the inner expansion for awareness.
What are your most significant professional achievements?
I think all thoughts and consciousness are breath. The breath is the switch between the conscious and the subconscious mind, It’s a connected cycle of creation and extinction. And It's a soul resonance beyond the time frame. I try to listen to all the conceptions of all things, have an open mind, and remember what resonates. This reality of perception will constantly evolve through my experience and my work. I think this is a very impressive achievement.
What do you wish to tell viewers about your work that might not come out explicitly? What do you hope to inspire with your artwork?
My surrealism is simply isn't just an exploration of the unconscious. It’s a question of will and philosophy. And at the same time, intrepid introspection. I think there’s a series of sort of underlying, other sort of visual realities that have come into play in the modern world. In generally, the objects of awareness are split between the intelligible world and the visible world. There may be a lot of answers but I think the importance is that the reality of the invisible world over the visible. This is a rediscovery of the stream of consciousness based on ancient Oriental philosophy, and the idea of recognizing the truth is linked to being beyond the material world with all the visual appeal.
As I grew up I realized that everything is an illusion (-It doesn't mean that there is, or there isn't). And my consciousness is based on inclusiveness. I value awakening and balance, and try to embody the meaning of existence and non-existence (or both) and the nature of things in an implicit and artistic way.
But most of all, I hope the viewers to think while asking themselves questions. Because my artwork is based on metaphors, symbols and meanings, and It's more than meets the eye. When you think about something unexpected, it expands your understanding of what's possible, and you will be able to come up with many of your own that will be special. And whatever it is, I hope it comes from your open mind and sets you free. My art is intended to make the viewers think, but my delivery is intended to make the viewers listen to their own inner voice. As an artist, I think there is a positive role for it, because I believe it has a genuine and honest ring to it.
What advice would you give to the upcoming generation of artists?
What you see in the world is none other than yourself.
In what direction would you like to see your career go in the next five years?
The past, present, and future are big words and concepts created by humans. Time will reading more into my words(-my artwork) than I intended. March 2023 At this moment in time, What I’m interested in today is what I intend to do. And I just try my best at every moment.
Country South Korea
Website https://www.jeongahzhang.com
