Artworks 2020 | Helena Min

Artworks 2020 - present

As far as I can remember, even as a child, I was drawn to the wonders of this universe. As I get older, ever more stored memories and information occupy my mind. It has become more difficult to see "as is" without my conscious effort to “see.”

My work is focused on seeing as they are, free from conditions of religion, culture, stored information, memory, knowledge and etc. When the world is experienced through such conditions, much of the experience of NOW is often altered and lost. Seeing without any preconditions makes it possible to see "as is" in the ever-present now.

My artwork is the visual manifestation of our universe in the ever-present now - who I am, who you are, who the other living beings are, how we exist with all other living and nonliving beings together forming ONE universe. It is the reflection of the universe sustaining itself in interconnectedness as the ground of all beings.

Over the years, I’ve been questioning and erasing the boundary between “I” and the rest. Air I inhale is from outside of my body. I inhale the air that came out of others. 60% of water consisting of my body is from outside of my body. My cells are regenerated daily with the consumption of other animals, plants, grains, and minerals. Plants need sunlight to transform the light into stored energy. In Korean traditional medicine, the passage from the mouth to the anus is considered outside of the body. My mind has been filled up with my lifetime's learning and observation that are from outside of myself. Much of the knowledge I learned had been accumulated during the time before my birth. Taking myself as an example, my physical and mental spaces are full of tangible and intangible elements from outside of my skin layer. I see myself, my existence, and others in these interconnected relationships.

At the beginning of the 21st century, in our time of climate crisis facing the collapse of life on earth(involving the entire ecosystem), and the COVID- 19 crisis(involving the Global human society)), and BLM(involving the human races) restoring this sacred interconnectedness has become ever more important and urgent. I think it is time to evolve human awareness and redefine the notion of "we." With a more inclusive attitude and respect, this word, "we" must include all living and non-living beings as the participants of the earth ecosystem for all to sustain and live.

Since the breakout of COVID-19 in 2020, my work series of "interconnectedness" have been focusing more on "questioning & erasing the boundary and healing." In 2021, I began to work with the recycled materials erasing the boundary between the more important(us, mankind, valued materials, etc) and the less important(other living and non-living beings, disposable and abandoned materials, etc), and the boundaries that have caused the climate crisis, the pandemic, and various inequalities causing suffering to others. Since my garden, the micro-universe, and gardening are a big part of my studio work, I've learned much here. And, there is no such thing considered as "unnecessary, disposable, or trash." In the garden/in nature, all have the place to belong and the functions through time and life's transformative stages.

Healing. The dirt and fallen leaves on the patio are considered debris and trash. Once I move them over the soil in the flowerbed, they become the nutrition for the plants and the necessity. Perhaps, the healing could begin by doing less of what mankind has been doing and respect nature to do more.