Olivia Joung is an artist based in South Korea, United States, and United Kingdom. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Painting and is currently pursuing a MA at the Royal College of Art.
Olivia’s art reflects the creation of Jeong (情), a unique cultural concept of affection in Korea. Deeply embedded in Korean society, Jeong is an emotional state where memories and feelings intertwine over time, expressing one’s life, care for others, and the cyclical experiences of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure through affection. Unlike Western concepts of love, which often emphasize passion or individuality, Jeong emerges through the gradual accumulation of shared experiences and mutual care, fostering long-term emotional bonds.
Colors symbolize emotions, and brushstrokes document time. By repetitively layering small brushstrokes on the canvas, She fills it with emotions, letting the surface dry to reflect the passage of time. This repetitive process mirrors how Jeong develops—as a slowly processed sentiment—and creates a delicate harmony of colors that visualizes its essence. In a single moment of sharing Jeong, one can perceive the entirety of another’s life through the accumulation of small, interconnected moments—feelings, exchanges, and acts of care—that define this deep form of love.
If this process embodies the birth of Jeong, then capturing its presence in our lives involves using objects as mediums. Inspired by the Korean saying, “Fate is connected by red threads,” She often uses thread to represent relationships. These threads may appear tangled or severed but retain the potential to be untied and reconnected, symbolizing the evolving nature of human connections. Additionally, she draws from the practice of gimjang, or kimchi-making—a heartfelt act of mothers preserving food to sustain their families through winter. Similarly, she preserves objects that capture the essence of Jeong by encasing them in resin or salt, ensuring their longevity as vessels of affection.
In a world increasingly systematized, where digital interactions often replace face-to-face connections, Jeong serves as a reminder of the value of physical and emotional presence, shared history, and active care. The artist believes that Jeong offers a way to foster harmony, pursue meaningful lives, and sustain peace by rekindling the importance of human connection in an age of detachment.