When I think about the meaning of a gift,
I feel that a gift is ultimately about offering something that a person truly needs.
I feel that a gift is ultimately about offering something that a person truly needs.
Many artists carry their own bodies of work, yet often live with the ongoing concern that they lack the images or platforms needed to present and publish that work professionally. This is not simply a matter of promotion, but an important condition that allows their work to meet a wider world.
At the same time, making art is joyful, but it can also be lonely. Creative work often requires long periods of walking alone. Perhaps that is why collaboration becomes something we return to so often. When different sensibilities and ideas come together, possibilities open up that may be difficult to reach alone.
This work began from that thought.
The artist I met, Seungjik, wanted to embody what he sees as the beauty of Korean aesthetics, while also allowing art to exist not only within exhibition spaces but to naturally enter everyday life. In collaboration , he completed a beautiful object. The artist developed the design, and the carpenter brought it into physical form, creating a result in which vision and craftsmanship could meet.
This object is a small table known as a hojokban, inspired by the structure of tiger legs and reinterpreted in a contemporary way through the beauty and balance of Korean lines. The curved legs of the hojokban carry the long tradition of Korean form, while repeated layers of lacquer add depth and texture to the surface, creating a beauty that feels both subtle and enduring.
As I watched this process unfold, I wanted to add another layer through photography and create a new work together around the object. In doing so, we exchanged ideas and inspiration and arrived at a meaningful outcome.
We also gave this collaboration a crew name: Yangban. Borrowed from the traditional title used in the Joseon dynasty, the name reflects our desire to reinterpret Korean aesthetics and sensibility in a contemporary way.
Capturing someone else’s work has always been a joyful experience for me. It becomes even more meaningful when my own ideas can naturally enter the process and help shape a shared result. At times, the work itself becomes the object of the photograph, and at other times, the photograph becomes a finished work in its own right. During that time, I deeply enjoyed the moment when our creative practices connected and expanded together.
