Self-Portrait

In this self-portrait, I chose to employ a vivid and effervescent color palette of lemon yellow, teal, green, white, red, magenta, purple, grey, and blue. I challenged myself to demonstrate a complex understanding of tonal variation, using the shades of different colors to reflect changes in tone while creating a sense of harmony throughout the surface of my face.

colored pencil on paper, 16*18.5(in), 2021

Embraced by Unfamiliar

This piece is a self-portrait, in which native South Korean animals, including the Korean Jindo dog, Crow-Tit, tiger, and Jangmigye chicken are surrounding me. I used a palette knife to layer gesso onto the background, not fully coating the board. Those places not covered in gesso represent incompletion and a void: the gaps in my understanding of my cultural heritage. Born and raised in Hong Kong, I grew up perceiving Korea as a mysterious place that I would hear about from my parents, and I eventually cultivated an interest in the traditional Korean culture. Hence, by incorporating native Korean imagery, I explored my cultural heritage while creating this piece.

acrylic, pencil, colored pencil on paper, 21*21(in), 2019