Artist Statement
Ordinary Day
3 years ago, I became a father. After my child was born, everything changed for me. It was so amazing to watch her grow up, and every moment with her was precious. I realized that ordinary moments of eating together, playing together, and sleeping together were so happy. Actually, before my daughter was born, it was not clear what I was supposed to draw as an illustrator. As an illustrator, I have done a variety of works, but I mainly drew commissions from somewhere to earn money. I didn’t have a clear goal in life, and I couldn’t decide what message to convey through my art. I decided to immigrate to Canada from Korea to find the story I wanted to tell and for a new experience in life. My child was born in Canada. At first, it was hard physically and mentally. Adapting to a new country is not easy, and neither is raising a child. My responsibility as a father was never easy. However, as my child grew little by little and the time we spent together increased, I realized how happy I am.
The ‘Ordinary Day’ series is an illustration that expresses the ordinary daily life of a father and daughter. I did it digitally, but I did it to give the impression of soft lines and watercolor painting. It has the meaning of thinking about how beautiful and grateful an ordinary daily life is. In the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, I drew a witty illustration of a happy father and daughter.
Another thing I felt while immigrating to Canada is that Canada is a place where cultures and races of various countries live in harmony. My Children’s Book ‘Let’s make kimchi’ is the story of a Korean immigrant family, and contains a warm story about the process of making kimchi for the mother who loves kimchi. ‘Let’s make kimchi’ is also based on digital work, but it was drawn in an art style with a watercolor feel, and expressed in a cartoonish work style. It will be a fun book that introduces new cultures to children and at the same time allows them to learn new recipes for food.