Lee Ju-won is an artist who graduated with a major in Western Painting from Gunsan University and later completed a graduate degree in Contemporary Art at the same institution. In the early 2000s, while traveling between provincial cities and the metropolitan area, he witnessed people begging on the floors of bus terminals, which sparked his visual curiosity. This led him to explore questions such as how the world looks from their low vantage point and how they perceive the lives we lead.

The artist metaphorically represents individuals who have lost their way in rapidly changing modern society. In his work, he captures the feet of walking figures to reflect the monotony and ennui of contemporary life. He also raises questions about whether these actions are driven by clear purpose or by a search for personal identity, inviting viewers to contemplate the direction of life itself.

The depiction of legs moving almost mechanically evokes the sense of living numbingly within society. Walking figures portrayed alongside everyday objects in the background capture the current state of life and provoke subtle questions about the paths we take and the destinations we reach.

Rather than focusing on surreal fantasies or abstract concepts, Lee Ju-won emphasizes the present—our lives and society—and the importance of finding one’s center. His work “Walking” conveys a message about maintaining direction in life, reflecting on social identity, and considering the repetitive, often unconscious patterns that shape our daily existence.