Silence on Paper

I encounter 'the unspoken' on old paper.

My creative practice begins by examining the oppression and silence naturally woven into daily life. I explore the invisible mechanisms through which a woman's body and spirit are controlled within the structures of family, marriage, and the so-called 'normal life.'

The surface, composed of traditional Korean hanji paper, seonji paper, and quartz powder, is layered, torn, and then resealed, revealing the emotional texture of the mind. Layered over this surface, Korean and Chinese characters serve as a 'dialogue between my self and the self,' where the language of the everyday mixes with the weight of historical memory to visualize a multilayered identity and the irreducible experience of womanhood.

The characters, repeatedly erased and reapplied, are remnants left between suppression and expression, a process of healing and reconstruction. Fragile yet holding memory, the paper becomes a site where documentation and restoration simultaneously take place.

Through my work, I aim to expose the control hidden under the name of care, the obedience framed as love, and the power structure that misreads women’s expressions as illness or emotional excess. And I ask:

Who sets the standard for normalcy?
Who defines the voice of a woman?
Who benefits from silence?

My art is an act of resistance against oppression and an attempt toward the awakening of the subject. Through the actions of layering, tearing, and rewriting, I believe that the silenced experiences will finally be spoken, and that this speaking will become the power that creates a new self.