Auf dem Friedhof
| Height | 40 cm |
|---|---|
| Width | 40 cm |
| Length/Depth | 2.5 cm |
This painting was created during the coronavirus pandemic.
When I walked through the cemetery for the first time, I was surprised to find that it wasn’t as dark and gloomy as I had imagined. When I saw the beautiful flowers and plants on the graves and the people tending to them, it struck me as strange that these people remember the dead as living beings. Caring for the dead becomes a natural act of tending to plants. The deceased become plants and blend into a beautiful, dizzying natural landscape.
Most of us know nothing about death. Nor do we know whether those visiting the cemetery are sad or indifferent. My works capture thoughts and feelings as empty spaces. They commemorate the deceased – people who were close to us – and shed light on the nature that fills the space after death.
Soomin Ko
(Major: Fine Art)
(Tutor: Alisa Margolis)
For me, creating a work of art is much like conjuring an illusion from a state in which nothing exists or is fixed. This illusion enables a form of expression that cannot be replaced by conventional means of expression such as words, gestures and facial expressions. Do you perhaps also recognise that feeling of unease when thoughts and feelings in your mind are disorganised or cannot be categorised? I develop my work through my personal stories – by which I mean the things that cannot be put into words or categorised. For example, the feeling of simply wanting to stay at home, or the way I see the world.Sometimes my work deals solely with my own stories, and sometimes the scope extends to include stories from other people and their different perspectives. For me, creating art is a tool for communicating with the world by giving free rein to the complex thoughts in my mind. Each piece has its own distinct elements, which may or may not contain multiple meanings. The viewer might recognise or empathise with the meaning behind it;
however, my main hope is that each person will find or create their own meaning for the work, based on their personal history and experiences.
Awards 2022 ‘Mach dein Ding!’ Young Artists’ Grant, Meersburg Group exhibition
2020 ‘Horror Vacui’, Kunstbezirk, Stuttgart
2022 Arkaden-Galerie, Freundenstadt
2023 Exhibition tour, Stuttgart
2023 One Night Only – Margolis Deluxe, Stuttgart
2024 Metanoia, Stuttgart
2024 Rundgang Exhibition, Abk Stuttgart
2025 Finish, Abk Stuttgart
Solo Exhibition 2025 Anemoia, Seoul, South Korea
