At BuzzNick, we come across many different kinds of art and different, creative ways that artists produce their art. We’ve seen art made out of pennies, people who make art by walking around in the snow, and tons of unique artistic mediums. But when I saw how Korean artist, Jihyun Park created his amazing pieces of art, I was blown away. The amount of time and effort he puts into each piece is pretty incredible. Just wait until you see exactly how he creates his art! At least it keeps the house smelling great.
Being a fan of pointillism art, where you add distinct dots of color in patterns to form a picture, Jihyun Park has done quite the opposite. Using a stick of incense and rice paper, he burns tiny holes into the paper, taking away from the canvas rather than adding to it.
He creates pieces of art that are inspired by the great outdoors. His work usually involves a picture of trees, clouds, or mountains.
He occasionally ventures out of his comfort zone, and will create pictures of teddy bears and other objects.
His newest project titled “Incense Series” showcases his completed artwork which is then mounted to varnished canvases.
This helps the holes in the rice paper be more visible to the viewers.
The varnished canvas creates shadows while the white paper will reflect light.
“After reading the books Gulliver’s Travels, Utopia, and Erewhon, and seeing Japanese animated movie Castle in the Sky, I became inspired to develop a relationship between the concept of utopia and the materials that I use in my work,” states Park.
“My recent work, Incense Series, focuses on this relationship while searching for the promised harmonic balance that utopia brings. Ironically, the word ‘utopia’ in Korean is ‘Yi Sang Hwang’ and ‘Hwang’ means ‘incense’.”
He likes to showcase the constant changes in our environment, both physically and emotionally. He likes to involve a wide variety of ranges to his artwork, bringing up memories of his past.
Park says, “It is my hope that the ‘moments’ I captures of my subjects are ones when they are at their most ideal – true utopias. While drawing them with the incense, I am ‘holding’ a split moment of harmony in my hands.”
One piece of work that has gotten a lot of attention is his piece titled “Twenty-Third”. It’s not based on any real location, but it’s a street that he visited during a dream.
He believes that utopia is actually just an extension of his subconscious. In his mind, he is creating by destroying.
“While drawing them with the incense, I am ‘holding’ a split moment of harmony in my hands.”
If I even attempted this, I would have to call the fire department to put out a major house fire! The precision and patience he displays while making this art is really incredible. His creations definitely make your mind wander to the utopia he has created.