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ARTIST STATEMENT
Still life of Asian Theme-Kelly Haejung Paik
Geometric Landscape-Surreal painting-Kelly Haejung Paik

My journey as an artist began during my academic career, where I discovered a passion for visualizing complex theories. Teaching concepts like the ‘Spiral of Silence’ theory—exploring how fear of isolation can silence individuals—led me to translate these ideas into visual representations for my students. This fusion of academic research and visual expression sparked my transition into the arts, where I now combine my background in communication, psychology, and sociology with my creative practice. I explore the psychological and cultural dimensions of human experience, investigating how art functions both within culture and as a deeply personal phenomenon.

 

At the heart of my practice is the belief that materials themselves possess agency. Objects and surfaces actively shape reality, aligning with the principles of new materialism, which suggests that meaning is co-constructed through both human perception and the inherent properties of materials. Whether I work with paint, beeswax, wood, paper, metal, or glass, the materials I choose play an integral role in the evolution of the work and contribute to its narrative.

 

Each piece begins with a conceptual seed, shaped by my research, intuition, and personal experience. The interaction between artist, material, object, and concept creates a dynamic process where the work unfolds its own meaning. This organic evolution mirrors my ongoing exploration of realism, abstraction, and surrealism, as I communicate my vision.

 

My practice is research-based, exploring the cultural, psychological, and social contexts in which my ideas circulate. I’m driven by questions of how art functions in society and serves as both a personal psychological journey and a collective cultural force. While conceptually grounded, I believe that art must resonate visually and emotionally. Form, texture, color, and pattern balance intellectual rigor with aesthetic pleasure, allowing meaning to unfold through their interplay, where concept and visual experience converge.

 

Ultimately, art is an ongoing conversation—one that evolves through form, texture, color, pattern, and space. Each work invites an active encounter between the viewer, the artist, and the material world, creating an experience that resonates intellectually, emotionally, and sensorially.

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© 2025 Kelly Haejung Paik PAIK STUDIO  All rights reserved

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