Page 37 - PHOTODOT 2017년 7월호 VOL.44 Jul

<Jjak-pae> received a great response from both Korean and inter-
national photography world. What do you think the reason was?
When I was studying abroad, I had a tough time because of racial
problems, language problems and other problems with the envi-
ronment. I wasn’t working on portrait photographs at first.. I was
taking photographs of unfamiliar landscapes of New York that were
different from Seoul. Then, I was walking down the street one day
and saw an interracial couple of a black mand and a white wom-
an. I was inspired and took several photographs of them. Then I
visited their house to take their portrait photographs using a big
camera. As I was working on <Jjak-pae>, I focused on creating my
own photography somehow. I think perhaps this was the reason
my work received critical attention. Anyhow, <Jjak-pae> made me
think for the first time that portrait photography was my destiny
as photographer.

전국노래자랑, 충북 진천, 2015, 152x177cm, digital pigment print

What was the motivation that made you start on the <National
Song Contest>?
I think the <National Song Contest> was my destiny. When I was
holding <Jjak-pae> exhibition, I just happened to see the National
Song Contest show on TV in a long time. Then, I felt electricity
flowing through my body. I think I made up my mind right then to
work on this project instinctively. However, now I think it was not
an accident. It was a result of having thought about repeatedly over
a long time how I wanted to have a conversation with the world
through portrait photography. Such thoughts kept piling and, even-
tually, they enter inside my mind. From the beginning, I wanted to
see the ordinary Korean people in the contestants participating in
the National Song Contest show. That was my motivation.
전국노래자랑, 강원도 강릉, 2013, 152X195cm, Achival Pigment Print

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