Reflection

Nature has always been a haven for me. Growing up in Seoul—the capital city of South Korea and home to nearly 12 million people—I lived there until 9th grade. Daebang Park was a precious space where I could escape the noise and stress of everyday life. But the green areas in the city where I lived were gradually replaced by gray color concrete. The park I used to visit often eventually disappeared. In its place, a park golf course—similar to gateball—was built as a leisure facility for local residents. I joined a community campaign, made posters opposing the construction, and encouraged others to help protect the park. However, despite our efforts, the park was ultimately replaced. I felt a deep sense of loss. I wanted to express this experience. Humans are part of nature, but at the same time, they are the greatest threat to nature. The human face in my painting is made up of trash left by people. This trash symbolizes the scars we leave on the environment. Humans damage nature too easily. Through this trash, I tried to express the pain that humans have caused in nature. Nevertheless, nature that still lives, breathes and exists at the center of the face. It symbolizes the connection between humans and nature, which can never be completely cut off even if we sometimes forget it. I used the roots to express a message of hope that nature is still alive in us even if we have damaged nature. Through this piece, I hope that people will recall the precious moments they felt in nature in the past and feel how much humans are damaging nature.