▲ Artist Jo Hae-gyeong

“A painting is a creation of forms of objects we can see with our eyes” says artist Jo Hae-gyeong. “Sight is the strongest sense over hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. Images in a painting are the artist’s visualized inner forms.”

Jo grew up with dream of becoming an artist since childhood and won numerous prizes at competitions throughout her school years. She majored in fine art at Dong-a University and ran an art academy for children after graduation. It was when Jo met artist Park Young-ho, also her fine art teacher at the high school, that she decided to be a full time artist. 

“I visited his exhibition and bought a work. That was the moment of realization that what I really wanted to be was an artist rather than teaching painting to others.”

She started painting in earnest from 2005 with focus on cactus flowers. “Cactus grows in barren soil but they survive and bloom” says Jo. The tenacity of cactus probably is her message delivered through her works to us. She uses acrylic and oil to express the tenacity of cactus on the canvas and it can be interpreted as a strong will of her towards vitality of life.

“I use spay and/or unmixed oil and water drop method with careful picks of colors because for me colors create different emotions from appreciators. It is important to use right color to express the emotion of the time on each of my work. Also important is the balance and harmony of colors which requires a considerable amount of time and effort.”

Gimhae City, where she is based her activities, has held New Face & Artist in Gimhae for the last 12 years on which 44 artists in the region have held exhibitions. And Jo has been appointed as a prominent artist this year and was supposed to hold an exhibition this month at YoonSeul Gallery but has been postpone due to the spread of the virus. 

“New Face & Artist in Gimhae picks an artist in each category every year and I feel really happy to be picked. Although the exhibition has been postponed, I actually take it as an opportunity to prepare the exhibition better.”

Jo says that as an artist she feels rewarding when someone who recognizes the value of her works buys her work. Because it is more of communication rather than selling a work.

Currently, Jo is working on the postponed exhibition alongside challenges for a variety of methods and forms that can deliver hope and healing to people.