Olivia Joung


Multitude of love: emotions








Butterfly Effect
Oil on canvas, 48 x 44, 14 x 11.2, 12.2 x 9 in, 2023


The painting Butterfly Effect explores the concept of how the accumulation of small, good-hearted choices can lead to a significant impact, fostering a better living environment. A blend of overlaid small brush strokes symbolizes individual influences, while the faint butterfly imagery in the distance signifies the future we can build together.















Stars
Oil and nail on canvas, 39 x 39 in


Stars is a mixed-media painting made with nails and oil paint. Sometimes, love can be disheartening and break us apart, but it can also be sweet, just like a piece of chocolate. And when we look back over time, we can recognize that hoarded experiences from love have created us into who we are now, just like a hard and shiny diamond. Envisioning the idea, the embedded nails reflect the experiences and present lives of individuals, and the swirling reflection of nails visualizes a night sky full of stars shining like a diamond.















경화수월: 거울 속에 비친 꽃과 물에 비친 달
Reflection: Flower Reflected on the Mirror, Moon Reflected on the Water

Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in


The four-character idiom "경화수월" defines the reflection of a flower in the mirror and the reflection of the moon on the water, representing a Korean simile for mournful love stories. The painting portrays two supple organic shapes intertwined, symbolizing the harmonious nature of loving relationships expressed romantically. The repetition of brushstrokes creates a subtle gradation of blue, evoking the tranquil movement of a wave and the soft glow of the mirror.















Heart Seed 1
Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in


‘껍질 속에는 껍질이 있고 그 속에도 껍질이 있는 마음의 씨앗은 네게, 그리고 나에게 수용을 요구하는 것일까
The seed of tangled emotions ties me around with its root. Will I ever be able to let myself go?’

The sensation of a texture ascending in the middle, conflicting with the background texture seemingly falling below, metaphorically illustrates the dilemma of whether to open or close one's heart to others. The collision of underlying thoughts forms layers akin to shells, eventually giving rise to seeds.













Heart Seed 2
Oil on canvas


‘그토록 찾아서 헤매던 이 감정의 근본은 어디에 뿌리를 내리고 번저가는 것인가. 어떤 형태를 하며 나는 무엇을 쫓는 것일까. 오늘도 어김없이 그것의 씨앗을 찾기 위해서 얽히고 설켜진 실타래를 하나씩 풀어나가길 바라며.
What is the origin of the emotion and where is it rooted? Will I ever be able to find its essence if I follow along with this entwined roots of the memories?’















Heart Seed 3
Oil on canvas, 24 x 24

‘시작점이자 마침점. 꽃과 같은 마음, 그 무의식 속으로 모험을 한다면 이보다 더 정확한 표현은 없을것이다.
The starting and ending points. A flowery mind. There will be no expression that could be more accurate if you venture through this unconsciousness.'


Heart Seed 3 depicts a transformative shift in mindset, a journey towards embracing warmth and communion. The vibrant red hues and dynamic brushstrokes vividly portray the breaking of a shell, symbolizing readiness to bloom in the spring. 















Cracking Seed
Oil and dried flower powder on canvas, 47.5 x 70 in


‘큰 움직임, 큰 울림. 하지만 밖으로 새어나가는 소리는 그 작은 속삭임 조차 들리지않네. 껍질이 벗겨지고, 씨앗이 자라고, 무슨 형태로 바뀔까 하다가도, 그저그런 상태로 냅두게 된다. 자연의 순리대로, 섭리대로.
The shell peels off, and the seeds grow. A big movement, a loud echo, but I can't even hear that little whisper from the outside.’ 


Cracking Seed depicts the cracked shell within the profound grounds of the mind by visualizing a cross-section of a seed and invigorating movement through gestural textures.












Vertigo
Oil stick and oil on Canvas, 70 x 47.5 in


‘빙글빙글 돌아가는 공간 속 마주한 세상, 금빛의 반짝이는 불빛들로 가득 찬 풍경은 무엇이었을까.
It may have been a dream, but I have the clear reminiscence of the world, full of golden lights I encountered in this chaotic space.’


Vertigo highlights swirling gestural lines of texture and a blend of bright gold-yellow hues, heightening the chaotic and confusing state of mind.














Falling; 추락
Oil and oil stick on canvas


Falling is a painting that explores the multifaceted perspectives of self-esteem. Visualizing the decline of self-love, I utilized pigment sticks to capture traces of a falling motion, expressing the energy and vitality. The incorporation of bright colors signifies the vivid and colorful appearance from an altered viewpoint, yet it also captures a tinted darkness at the edges, gradually narrowing down the vision.













Untitled
Shellac and oil stick on unstretched canvas