# Project Description

Anonymised Figures

Jieun Lee

Summary

Final work

I studied painting/printmaking in South Korea and am now pursuing painting at Camberwell College of Arts.

I studied painting/printmaking in South Korea and am now pursuing painting at Camberwell College ...

College Camberwell College of Arts

Course MA Fine Art: Painting

Graduation year 2024

I observe the visible messages of my contemporaries—such as their facial expressions and gestures—and imagine their invisible inner worlds. Through the lens of my camera, I capture subjects who could have been overlooked.

Working with black-and-white photographs, I aim to unravel the core of the visual impressions and emotions conveyed by the subjects, particularly in discerning the essence of human figures and pushing further towards simplification. To achieve this, I experimented with laser cutting. The monochrome silhouettes, which underwent the process of simplification, erased the uniqueness and specificity of the individual and became anonymous and universal.

In the graduate degree show, my work was installed on the window so that viewers could see not only the artwork itself but also the people passing by outside. This created an interaction between the figures in the artwork and the passersby, establishing a connection between them. This approach aimed to allow the artwork to engage with the surrounding environment and the people within it.

I sense a peculiar tension and intense survival instinct within the still silence of the figures. The silhouette I study represents an existential entity preparing to confront the ensuing chaos in the transitional realm between one confusion and the next. It encapsulates a moment of suspended immersion, contemplation and anticipation. My work seeks not to explore a specific individual but rather my own image, the image of our contemporaries, and the existential representation of humanity.

Final work

Anonymised Figures

Laser-cut wood panel, tracing paper, 35.7 x 28 cm each, 2024

Anonymised Figures

Laser-cut wood panel, tracing paper, 30 x 20 cm, 2024

Anonymised Figures

Laser-cut wood panel, tracing paper, 30 x 20 cm, 2024

Anonymised Figures

Laser etching on wood panel, 30 x 22 cm each, 2024

Research and process

Anonymised Figures, installation view at Copeland show, 2024

My focus shifted towards the subtle installation of laser-cut figures, a deliberate choice that intertwines with broader themes of solitude and isolation. Placing the figures in corners and walls accentuates their obscurity, as if they are hidden or lurking within the exhibition space. From a distance, viewers may overlook the figures or be unsure of what they are looking at, compelling them to come closer and examine the paintings up close.

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I observe the visible messages of my contemporaries—such as their facial expressions and gestures—and imagine their invisible inner worlds. Through the lens of my camera, I capture subjects who could have been overlooked. Working with black-and-white photographs, I...

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