Sometimes, I felt as if I were entering a deep blue sea, unable to breathe, with the thought that I could die right now, and as if I existed alone in the darkness. I realised that this was a mental illness, and since then, I have been expressing and sharing this feeling through painting, based on my panic and anxiety disorders. Actually, I don’t know exactly where my anxiety comes from, so I tried to find the cause of my anxiety and thought that if I found and removed the cause of my anxiety, I would not feel anxious anymore. However, I realised that anxiety is an emotion that coexists with me constantly, even if I try to find and remove it. In fact, I found a more important fact in this process: I don’t feel anxious when I paint. Most people who see my artwork say that my paintings look like photographs, but my purpose is not to paint like a photograph. I obsessively put tiny dots on the panel, as if I’m moving each pixel from the picture. Each dot is different in size and colour. And as these small, countless dots come together, a work of art is completed, and the anxiety is melted into my painting. And while painting a self-portrait, I get to know myself, and while painting my family and friends, I get to know them. That’s why painting is a healing process for me.

Group Works