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Artist Statement
Strata of Memory :
Encountering the Silence of Stone Won Jeong-sang
My work begins with an exploration of the origins and essence of human existence through nature and the
environment. Among them, the stone (石) stands as a being that transcends human time — a vessel that holds the
memory of the earth and the traces of life itself. On its surface, hundreds of thousands of years are sedimented, and
within it remains the primal breath of the planet’s creation. In contemplating that depth of time and the weight of
matter, I seek to explore the layers of existence through the language of photography.
Enduring weathering and erosion, wind and rain, and the changes of the seasons, the stone never loses its essence —
a quality that mirrors human life. Within its silent form, I discover a quiet dignity of being. Light flows along its surface,
shadows linger, and the grain of time becomes inscribed. The stone’s surface is not a mere subject but a field where the
time of the earth and the thoughts of humankind intersect.
The stillness, tension, and inner resonance I feel when facing a stone become the essential energy of my photographic
act. Waiting and observing on site is not merely a process of documentation but a meditation — a reflective and
contemplative practice that mirrors my own existence.
In visualizing that voiceless time, I sense the invisible “blood” flowing within the stone. It does not lose its form, yet
through the passage of time it is worn, carved, and softened. This process reveals nature’s patience and cyclical beauty
— an enduring metaphor for human existence itself.
<Strata of Memory> is the result of a visual meditation that records the sediment of time and the traces of being
through the varied forms of stone. Through my camera, I seek to read the materiality and temporality of stone, and the
emotions that lie dormant within it.Amid the profound silence, I am once again reminded of the photographer’s calling
and the value of existence.
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