Olivia Joung is an artist based in South Korea and United States, graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with painting BFA.
Through painting, she interprets the essence of love as a process and unravel various theories, philosophies, and personal experiences in her works. One of her theoretical influences, Robert J. Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, states that the key components of love are intimacy, passion, and commitment. These components are created through accumulated small moments and emotions that require communion, such as physical contact, voice tone, eye contact, and the sharing of scents. The repetition of brushstrokes, density, speed of each touch, mixture of overlaid colors, and the physical interaction between the artist and the surface result in a hazy, imprecise form. Every moment of painting reflects the creation of love.
She perceives art as problem-solving. Her goal is to create artworks that arouse the significance of love based on solid psychological research from different cultures and perspectives. Through this, she aims to create art that prompts the audience to think, generate discussions, change the world and spread positive impacts, opening a place of awareness and communication.
In the matter of love, humanity hasn’t changed since the beginning of civilization. It is time to break the endless loop of continuous war, polarization, and discrimination, and take action. Author Jung Ji-woo, Phaedrus in "The Symposium, "and Kong Qiu insist on the same argument across time and distance. Love encourages human beings to make good-natured choices—understanding and tolerating others beyond themselves, giving them the power for infinite growth. There is room to expand love beyond exclusive relationships to a broader world, to humanity.