A silent witness

Pen on Paper

22 x 30 inches 

2022

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A silent witness is inspired by the citizens and protesters in the Gwangju Democratization Movement. This monochrome drawing consists of the figures of the protesters in front of tear gas, citizens made to face the wall by soldiers, and a tree that stood in the middle of the movement. Abstractly expressed, the winding tree indicates the turbulent history of modern Korea. As a silent witness, the tree experienced the stormy period and stood as a bystander and participant at the same time involuntarily. Also, the tree implies the people who became entangled in the movement unintentionally and experienced the trauma. As time goes on, those memories become blurred and deteriorate while their spirit and the truth never change.