Who Am I?

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 For the class task on Week 4, we were required to visually display our memories as a child and as a teenager. This project was done to better analyse ourselves, and by analysing ourselves to then better analyse the lives and history of artists for research. Below is the work:


I attempted to relate different memories to body parts, however not all are related due to limitations on the amount of limbs. In this practice, I have noticed that bad memories tended to stay longer with me than happier ones and as such is more dominant in the work. I also attempted to somewhat differentiate my memories of my childhood and when I was a teenager by using pencil and pen respectively, but it is not very clear on the photo taken.

 We were required to illustrate ourselves in different stages: as a child, as a teenager, of our personalities and of what ‘made’ us (inspirations). Some notable memories I drew when I was a child is, of course, about me needing to leave my home country to study abroad in the Philippines for indefinite amount of years. While it has served as a good educational and developmental experience for a child, I feel like it has influenced how I identify myself of if I qualify as a Korean if I barely lived in the country. I have not remembered about other memories as clearly, but I have illustrated some memories of me being hospitalised for surgery for my tonsils. That memory was quite impactful to me because as a child, it was a new experience to be sedated and to wake up with extreme pain. 

 My memories as a teenager goes quite similarly, still doubting where I belong to and other painful memories. One especially painful memory was by dog passing away due to a sudden illness, and no one in my home was prepared for his passing. I also remember my school being not very supportive of arts, which is common in the Philippines, but this was also when I found my art tutor who was a great inspiration and guide in me pursuing art degree. My parents have been very supportive of me doing arts and I have had inspirations from other artists, in this case being Keith Haring, but it was him who told to be experimental and be open for anything and everything in arts. As such, I still strongly identity myself as an artist foremost even when I am still in doubt of my identity as a Korean.

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