Matthew Lee

‘태생 (Origins)’

Drawing

Alcohol markers on paper

3 Drawings

For my body of work, I employed the use of alcohol markers of different shades of grey along with ink and brush pens. This allowed me to create a wide range of textures and tones in great detail through various techniques. The monochrome aesthetics represents my concept of looking back to my past.

Reflecting onto the past, I’ve rectified all the central aspects of South Korean social existence into my ‘triptych’ body of work. Through my artwork, I want to convey the aspects of South Korea which I personally experienced when I was little. This includes the rich culture and history, the ‘busyness’ and crowds as well as the youth. My title, ‘태생 (Origins)’ emphasises my deep connection to South Korea and is my central concept as it is where I grew up, as suggested by my title. Spending the first 8 years of my life in South Korea has been able to shape my social understandings and has thus become a prominent aspect to my life. The small details integrated in the artwork plays a significant role as it engages the audience to look deeper into the artwork to find small details and easter eggs that provide slight and subtle insights into my own specific life.

Influencing Artists: Kim Jung-Gi, Tim McDongh, Shaun Tan