burn through me

artist statement:

My piece originally was a multi-media collage that included 3D objects such as the berries on my head and the bird which I made pop out of the paper. In the background, I have included all the words that I think describe me, what I'm interested in and what I present myself as. Through the burn marks, I have put words that have my peers and I have discussed and come to a consensus that describes how many of us feel on the "inside".

Art is more than a medium to express myself; it is a device for me to connect and communicate with people. I have been fascinated by how a work of art can evoke vastly different and personalized meanings and emotions in people, often irrespective of the artist’s intention. For this reason, I find art to be both public and deeply personal. In my artwork, I consciously embed elements of ambiguity and curiosity – a space for the audience to project their own experiences and make personalized connections. My artistic experience only reaches the midpoint when the artwork is finished; the second half begins with my observing people’s reactions to my artwork. I am thrilled when I witness a ‘eureka moment’ – a facial expression or a bodily gesture that signals that they have made a personal connection with my artwork and becomes an artist in their own right to finishes it with their imagination. In a way, a good art piece is like a tableau – it is a snapshot that unfolds inspiring and spiritual stories in people’s minds. Perhaps all of this is too self-aggrandizing. But then, art is deeply personal.

—Heyon Choi