During the pandemic, the artist D HWANG sank into his reclusive life more deeply. Over the past year, he has suffered the death of three acquaintances, including his father. The theme of existentialism such as ‘life and death’, ‘the relationship between individual and society’ and ‘consciousness and unconsciousness’, which the artist consistently continued in his philosophy, has become profound through the pandemic. According to the Artist, “Death is not far from life. It always follows us like a shadow. It is an irresistible law of nature.” However, D HWANG remains silent on how the philosophy is aesthetically embodied in his art-world.

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D HWANG said that “there is no meaning, no purpose, and no concept in my artworks. There is also no boundary of abstract style and figurative style. The only thing that I can say is about the mental and environmental states when I was creating my works. Only the moment, when I face my artwork while making art, is the time of pureness beyond the real world. From the moment the artwork is presented to the public after the work was finished, the interpretation and response to the art is up to the audience. It is completely out of my area. It is always the right answer if someone feels any emotion and finds any meaning in front of my artwork.”

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However, the dark, static, and implied atmosphere that penetrates the entire work of D HWANG make us face the silence rather than the fragmentary narrative of life, voluntary solitude rather than loneliness, the reality that everyone wants to avoid rather than weak hope. He ultimately explains the darkness that is seen in his works as a whole. "We all turn off the lights when we fall asleep. We all take a rest in the darkness. Without that intermission of the dark, our lives would be ruined. There are a large number of artists in the world who praise and express brightness. I am merely trying to reconcile at their opposite site."

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/ 2023 . H. Sung Wook