Seeking the Creative: Juri Rhyu, Visual Artist 작가노트

How would you describe your art in three words?

Love, Acceptance, Relationships.

I exemplify my emotional connections with the world through artworks of various mediums. I use art to communicate with the world. With art, I can best express my feelings and thoughts, and dreams. My work focuses on Love between people and captures how Love emotionally influences each other. I want the empathy in my art to remind people that these feelings are valid and it is okay not to feel okay.

I started to create this series to explain unexplainable feelings that I can only visualize. Even if I started making art after the painful experience, my source of creation was never self-pity, bitterness, or sorrow. My art is about acceptance, and self-love, and is a reminder of love and care from friends and family. I feel very loved and accepted and I hope to share those feelings with others.

Emotions are shapeless however I wanted to give shapes and images to the things that make us human. I don’t want it to have five fingers because it is supposed to represent emotions. Therefore, I used cartoon-like hands to visualize emotions.

The Grey-Rock-Method is a safe and effective way to protect a person from emotional abuse. Basically, you are covering yourself with an emotionless, grey rock in order to not get hurt.

손은 많은 감정을 표현할수있기때문에, 손을 이용해서 눈에 보이지 않는 사람의 마음을 표현하고자 했습니다. 손의 형상으로 마음을 표현하고자 했기 때문에 네개의 손가락과 만화같은 스타일을 차용하였습니다.

우리는 상처받은 우리 자신 스스로를 보호하기 위해 회색 돌이 되곤 합니다. 회색돌이 라는건 스스로를 보호하는 역활을 하지만 역으로 가두는 상자가 되기도 합니다. 우리는 스스로를 보호하기 위해 느낄수 있는 감정들과 기대를 최소하고 마치 회색 돌이된듯 살아가지만 감정과 기대가 주는 행복하고 따뜻한 감정들을 마치 마비가 된듯 느끼지 못하고 살고있습니다.

하지만 우리가 잊고있는것들도 있습니다. 우리 주변에는 나를 사랑하고 안아주는 사람이 늘 있다는거 힘든일 이있을때 슬픈 감정에 쉽게 사로잡히지만, 회색돌이 되지 않아도, 진심이여도 괜찮다는것을 잊고 살고 있습니다.

제 그림에는 세가지 손들이 나오는데,

회색손은 내가 나를 지키기 위해 내자신을 보호하는것을 상징합니다. 파스텔 색갈의 손은 원래의 나의 본모습과 선한 영향력을 포현한것이고, 검은 손은 억합과 슬픔의 감정들을 표현한 것입니다.

Where/how do you gather inspiration?

I gather inspiration from interacting with people I love and care about and also I am a big fan of movies.  Especially romance comedie movies inspire me to make bright and positive artworks, or even remind me to negative feelings are also needed to grow up. I wish my art makes people happy and loved as well as it does it to me too.

What do you hope audiences retain from your work?

I want my work to remind people how much they are being loved and cared for and how much they should love and care for themselves.

Instagram: @jurirhyu

Website: https://www.jurirhyu.com