"함구" (Ham-gu) in Korean signifies keeping silent or holding one's tongue. With a strong sense of self, I naturally gravitate towards expressing my opinions and engaging in discourse. However, navigating social dynamics often demands that I suppress my true thoughts or engage in conversations tailored to others' expectations. Most of that moments, Rather than compromise my integrity with falsehoods, I choose to remain silent.

This artwork captures the emotional landscape of these instances. It depicts my figure curled up in quiet restraint, a visual representation of my forced silence. In contrast, the subtle parting of my upper lip symbolizes the internal urge to speak, the unspoken words yearning for release.

Betta fish are known for their beautiful, long tails. But these tails are not natural. They were made this way by people breeding them to look a certain way. This pursuit of beauty, however, causes them stress and self-harm due to their oversized fins. This artwork uses the betta as a metaphor for my struggle with external expectations. 

I sometimes feel a sense of separation and disappointment to shape of myself that created by environment and people. The fragmented tail, held by human hands, symbolizes these pressures and the resulting internal conflict. The darkness below represents despair, while the betta's face above water signifies the search for hope and authenticity. This piece explores the tension between fitting in and staying true to oneself, prompting reflection on self identity and the importance of self-acceptance.

Tardigrades, also known as water bears, can survive in incredibly harsh conditions. For example, there are experiments where they survived for a week in space. However, they have also been found to perish in relatively mild outdoor temperatures of around 80 degrees Celsius. The reason for this vulnerability is their slow adaptation to rapid environmental changes.

Similar to tardigrades, I am also quick to adapt to various situations. However, when faced with a sudden influx of new environments, I often feel a deep sense of despair, as if I am being left behind.

This artwork depicts myself as a tardigrade within a backdrop that extreme conditions (represented by the moon/space) and tranquil conditions (represented by a tree/Earth). The desperation for survival is conveyed through outstretched arms, while the tardigrade’s wrinkles and drooping l limb represent my own experience of succumbing to environmental shifts.

The year 2024 felt like a period of convergence, where all the emotions and experiences I had accumulated seemed to coalesce into a single point in time. I came to realize that the person I am today is a composite of these disparate and often incongruous moments. This accumulation of experiences evokes the image of soft, amorphous clouds, yet also brings to mind the chaotic, organic growth of illegally constructed additions to buildings often seen in Southeast Asia.