Hee-jung Shin

Can a single sheet of paper, something we see so commonly around us, become a vast vessel capable of holding a person's entire life? The answer can be found in the works of Hee-jung Shin, a Korean-Canadian artist based in Canada. From afar, her artwork resembles a tranquil forest, a rain-soaked city, or a field of reeds swaying in the wind. Step closer, however, and you realize it is an intricate 'tower of memory' built by layering tens of thousands of paper fragments. The reason Shin's work resonates with and captivates so many is that it goes beyond simply painting beautiful pictures; it uses the warm medium of paper to express the processes of 'loss' and 'recovery' we experience in life with striking sincerity.

Her artistic process is highly unique and infused with devotion. She begins by drawing and coloring on Hanji, only to boldly tear or cut it apart. One might wonder why she would destroy something she so carefully created, but for the artist, this step is essential. The experiences of parting, immigration, and losing what is precious in life are much like the pain of tearing paper. However, the artist does not stop there; she meticulously layers and pastes those torn pieces back together, one by one, to form a new shape. This signifies a process of building a stronger self, not by discarding a wounded past, but by embracing even the pain as a precious part of life. This 'deconstruction and reconstruction' is the greatest defining characteristic of Shin's originality.