Artist Process
I create jewelry sculptures and accessories that echo silent sermons, grounded in the fundamental principles of craft. Guided by the protocols of metalwork, whether through cold or hot connections, my designs come to life through intentional craftsmanship. The stages of my work will always be in progression of sketching out my designs, especially ones that require perceptive understanding in spatial elements.
A few elemental examples could be acute areas which bends over, bends inside, extrudes, or placements that require particular bench jeweler tools for specific order of operations. This approach to fabrication knowledge and preparation is always useful to get started on making and gathering such elements. I will begin to assess what gauge of metal material I need, which blades to use, how to position my elements while working, and moving back and forth between the soldering stations and forging.
While I work, I aim for my pieces to possess a fine jewelry allure and engage in delicacy, sophistication, and refined details. I am constantly listening to the needs of my metal whether actively, or proactively in the planning stages. Different gauges of metal present opportunities and limitations to what scale I work in and what sequence I partake in order of operations. Sometimes my projects will consist of modular units which require a certain set of metal elements. Other times I might come across gemstones and assess its color value into an aestheic I’d like to transfer over.
Most of the time, there is a theme and intuition based approach to my methodology. Self-introspection with macro and micro events in my personal life engages a constant awareness of mine. It illuminates areas that feel more expansive or more static. From this place I like to meditate on what resting truths can be shared in my jewelry forms. It is a way for me to channel spirit and consciously participate in embodiment with spirit, allowing a version of self that I can rely on.
Questions I like to ask myself are how is this level of inwardness understood in my work? How do I record and observe them? If my work is informed from life experiences, divine communion, conversations, how do I capture it in my life? What do I find is working, useful, effective or blocking?
For me, research is recognized and understood when integrating my studies/recollection into resting truths. This is a process of inward regulation activating embodiment. This embodiment emanates from a place of regulation, resting truths, each serving a purpose and aligning with my belief in myself — a belief magnetic field, as it were. Connecting to my intuition and spiritual vehicle is a form of research that begins from unionizing them.
Altogether, journaling is possibly the strongest source of research I can extract from. They are recorded inner dialogues that inform where my energy is invested, or what I’m paying attention to. It is a way of learning my own output - the integration and comprehension of philosophical and spiritual practices.
It is from this place that activates my creative field, so, having knowledge of which areas are blocking is an artistic process to creative preservation and expansion. Discovering series of aligned truths while reading my own writing can excite me to create. Self imposed questions start to draw energy and lead me to finding and attracting complimentary teachings that are psychological, metaphysical, esoteric, stoic and/or spiritual.
Context
I ponder about the creative solutions to conditionality and finitude of time dimensions. What this emphasizes is a possible divine spark within a craft, echoing from the immortal Soul. In contemplating this enduring aspect, I am reminded of the fleeting peaks of emotions, whether soaring in exuberant highs or plunging into profound lows. Just as certain emotions are ephemeral, my artistic expressions seek to encapsulate these transient moments, weaving a narrative that speaks to the impermanence of both emotional landscapes.
Flux and impermanence function as dynamic forces that mold the form, content, and meaning of my work. In my work, the welcoming of a transitory nature creates an acknowledgment of which, endures dimensional time. As it manifests into embodiment, the expression in holding space for changes and imperfections functions as energy expansion and depicts movement in human emotions and experience. Ideally, a story is soon to be told with each piece. What this serves in my work is the attunement to the act of creation, and finding meaning/value within the temporary states my artwork goes through. In this space, I am constantly shaping a future timeline where in retrospect, these sequences during my fabrication stages give voice to the finished product.
The temporal flexibility of artwork contributes content to my creations through personal experience, poetic symbolism, and Self/Divine-guided meditations. How this attribute functions as introspective pursuits, it often becomes appetizing for self-participation when collaborating with primal energies. Most of my work is a testament to what happens when I catch those moments of remembrance, activations, or realignments. They are pinpoints to the message I’ve planted behind tenants and omens that I follow, as well as stoic virtues that complement them.
For example, themes in my work are meticulously crafted in visual grammar, spatial orientation, and flexibility/tension to perpetuate themes in opening my heart/energy, gestures that I can symbolize as a seeking for wholeness.
Using my freedom to explore flux and impermanence states of art deepens a gnosis of the Divine. This constantly positions me to the ever-changing nature of my responsibilities and actively engages with self(s). Similar to Mcevilley’s disposition in content arising from the higher powers, these positions on self-responsibility and self-concept create a conductive channel that harmoniously co-creates with kinetic and boundless energies. They surround my reality and are also witnessed in the studio. The precious metals alchemize heat energy into moving parts, which are expansive, kinetic, and waiting for potential release.
In memory from when I first entered my yoga practice, I felt guided by the yogi’s wisdom when creating my work, “Meeting You Halfway”. I remember feeling a profound shift as I unclenched my fists in plank position and instead opened my hands, inner palms facing upward. “Meeting You Halfway” is worn on the hand with a design and metaphorical emphasis on tension and a cupping gesture. Introducing the tennis line technique into my jewelry fabrication, the line delicately rests on my third finger, on the inside of my palm. Connected to the thumb by a shortened chain, the restriction of movement speaks to the tension we face in life. While the subtle discomfort is constructed intentionally, another course of movement is then engaged. There’s a bodily impulse to draw the thumb inward, which starts to form that cupping gesture and positions the tennis line to sit straight.
Here lies a profound truth; we feel the tension lessen when we acknowledge and lean into it. Bodily gestures when wearing this jewelry can echo a conversation I have with God; choosing to lean into discomfort and positioning myself to learn in that process. I translate this language into effective tools - actualizing the notion that they are and always will be, readily available. This translation involves an acknowledgment and self-ownership, paralleling the idea of McEvilley’s statement, “The obsessive expectation of posterity is linked with the belief in Soul and constitutes, in effect, a claim that one has a Soul.”
“Meeting You Halfway” mirrors an embodiment of surrender and co-creation. The participation in embracing unease as a tangible and internal tool reaffirms how discomfort is a transmutable catalyst. Being within reach, these are the initial steps to taking ownership. It is in this act of co-creation that I access a clear channel to emotional acumen.
Context cont.
Exploring the relationship between art and reality revolves around an ontological examination of what is ‘relatable’ to the ‘real world’. Each person’s life journey and potential bias begins an intellectual questioning of how art can represent reality accurately, or if it’s meant to be a creator of reality. Idealism is therefore another function in my work as the existence of things gives ontological priority to the human mind. It plays a critical part in how I can convey meaning and evoke emotions.
Empowerment of existentialism may also position as an ontological argument as they both study being or existence. Philosophers approach both with questions on how we know, perceive, and interpret the word. In the case of my work, an ontological thesis would complement idealism and existentialism, as reality in these contexts is explored through the mind, spirit, consciousness, and will. Formally, my work invites an ontological approach to deepen understanding of my artistic existence, authenticity, intention, and meaning/value.
Abstract concepts around stoic responsibility and spiritual guiding forces position my way of organizing and giving form to energy. Alluding to complexity of aesthetic expressions within a representation of reality that I perceive as real or significant.
My intention to empty mind/space is a learning experience for how I navigate the nature of being. I also see this as a strong representation of what a gnosis/channeling of spirit can engage in.
While the formal configurations of my work show attention to delicate structures and shapes, I build personal content around my existence in a reality full of nuances, subtle beauty, and powerful understatements. I perceive this reality with my belief in softening and the importance of approaching life with grace, humility, and decisiveness. Patterns in my work that show vertical lines are symbolic of my human ascension quest and polarity grounding. The visual grammar behind my vertical representations is fabricated in a way where emotions of poise, sophistication, and resilience co-exist.
Areas of Focus, Curiosity, Practice
Adapting with Alchemy :
Conflict, Polarity Discipline, Integration of Habits
How can I better understand myself as an alchemist? How can I find the magic inside, from my own emotional instruments?
In this focus, I use the concept of alchemy as a metaphor for Higher Self Adaptation/Self Mastery. Using ontology as a guide in my work helps me understand how I organize my learning and why I rely on self-assessment for progress. When associating ontology with the function of shaping energy, I observe how my body of work exists in a reality that accumulates this energy. Perhaps it is experienced in a series of delightful surprises. Alchemy is defined as the transmutation of base metals into gold, or raw materials into enlightenment. This leads me to investigate the alchemical metaphor with a dissertation on transmuting raw emotions into wisdom.
If I were to channel the role of an alchemist, I would start by learning to understand the subtle energies of the universe. What awaits is the applied knowledge, aligning my energies to harmonize with magnetic energies. I like to shift this metaphor in accumulation to focus 2.
For this focus, I contemplated subtexts that streamline my role as an alchemist. I rested on phases— considering the stages I might undergo in my journey. I initiate the process with phases involving conflict, polarity discipline, and the integration of habits.
In my work, contradictory energies that feel dualistic, echo the need for discipline with both versions of my stoic and sacred self. Managing these polarity energies is important once one acknowledges the presence and need for temperance. I ask myself, when does the course of discipline get enthralled on my end? My response is that my inclination to transmute polarities is most supported by self respect. It is through this process, that I decide on a commitment to developing personal expansion. Then I move into the phase of integrating them into habits, behaviors, and boundaries.
I try to observe my own Amygdala, processing emotions like pain, fear, and stress. I see it as an opportunity for self-regulation, interpreting plans and actions aligned with our unmet needs. The scientific process supports a strategic system, echoing stoicism and its focus on clear objectives. This is where I incorporate concepts of the shadow as an informative guide, aiding in assessing the nature of mentioned phases.
Another way to translate focus 1’s phases : I begin to assess conflict sources, decode my values behind fears, and identify habits for positive change.
At times I will use a psychological orientation to further reference how I visualize some of these polarizing energies. When experiencing a polarity between the conflicted self and non judgment, I see this as an opportunity to understand the complexities of life without the need for divisive judgment; an assertion of narratives around fear or discontent.
The creation of my work, “Self Trust” emerges as a sculptural piece, expanding the canvas of my work to envelop a greater body surface. The main body, intricately forged in wire, gracefully forms a necklace loop that encircles the neck and trails down the spine. Tube-set stones delicately punctuate this spinal journey, symbolizing the nuanced functions of the vagus nerve within the human body. Suspended at the tailbone, delicate chains entwine the hips, converging into another jewelry form just below the navel.
The secondary composition of “Self Trust” captures soundwave imagery, housing a recorded affirmation that integrates with the work’s essence. It’s mantra, “I trust myself to come full circle with all information that I gather and receive on the daily. To feed my vision and direct my path with clarity and playful curiosity.” resonates strongly from the pelvic—the epicenter stimulating artistic expression and emotions within our beings.
This deliberate placement resonates powerfully within this particular energy function of the body. Categorized as part of my exploration of self-mastery, “Self Trust” delves into the vital importance of trusting oneself and assimilating daily information. This intentional dialogue extends to our gut microbiome, where our organs transmit signals of emotion.
In the context of limiting beliefs and its effects on the gut, this affirmation can be particularly powerful. By trusting ourselves to process information in a healthy and balanced way, we can avoid falling into negative assessment patterns that harm our hormonal receptors and overall well-being. Instead, we can approach each situation with curiosity and openness, allowing ourselves to learn and grow from the information we receive.
The affirmation becomes a powerful tool, fostering a positive bias within our minds, reinforcing a mindful self assessment. Trusting ourselves and embracing intuition creates a harmonious relationship between the gut and brain, reducing limitations and nurturing a receptive mindset. Rooted in physiological responses with cognitive awareness, “Self Trust” becomes a tangible celebration of the intricate dance between mind and body.
Areas of Focus, Curiosity, Practice
A Felt Knowing, A Gnosis :
Resting Truths, Embodiment, Gnosis/Trust
In this focus, I use gnosis as a metaphor for trust, linking it with the integration of habits and boundaries from “Adapting with Alchemy” as initial steps in embodiment. The lessons under this process now gradually become a part of my being, a deep internalization. As this leads to a knowing of the divine, I translate this into a sense of spirit’s presence, resonating in my heart and fostering profound trust.
In the course of exercising my expansive elasticity, there is an inward and experiential process happening. They are objectively measured by the output of my artistic means, as well as an intrinsic channeling to spirit. A steady ebb and flow with this reflective reality operates kinetically while at the same time stands peacefully still.
In reference to this focus’s phases in ‘Resting Truths, Embodiment, Gnosis’, I will be mentioning a few scientific examples. Resting truths have a scientific interpretation of neuroscience or belief. I introduce the idea that we are in a constant state of reinforcing our beliefs as our brains process information in flux with our self-concept.
Resting truths is also associated with cognitive psychology and perception. In flux to our self-concept, I resonate with the science where we possess cognitive biases that influence how we perceive truth. This is a demonstration of the psychological mechanisms behind our self-concept/resting truths.
To some, gnosis can be understood as the psychology of peak experiences. These profoundly moving and sublime moments are potentially found in fulfillment, creativity, and awareness. Perhaps these 3 states/phases form a neural mechanisms that clue psychologists, cognitive and art therapists to what a scientific perspective in gnosis could be.
In my work, resting truths can flower from the creative process of repetition and patience. In this focus, repetition is a constant remembering, constant coming back home, a constant authenticity.
The ontological proposition of repetition is an agent possibility of “power” and an agent orientation of “will”. I then make my presumption that each repetitive ‘polarity’ is an access point that only accumulates my power and will. Consistency derived from repetition is also an instillation of confidence. I can confidently rely on repetition enhancing my memory retention, the relief in dexterity and practice to be stored in long-term memory.
When implementing tennis stone setting techniques in my work, each precisely uniform unit is both intricate and demanding. They serve as a metaphor for life, a delicate balance of tension and grace. For instance, the repetitive nature of this balance is attributed to my self-concept as both artisan and philosopher. I parallel these abstracted representations as unlocking secrets of existence, one silver unit at a time. Additionally, in this process patience moves through the body and allies with the intellect. Patience might be the ultimate factor in my choices. For instance, I will have to make careful considerations of sequential options or consequences when performing these tasks.
Taking inventory of stoic and alchemical principles, I open my heart to these focuses of “Adapting with Alchemy” and “A Felt Knowing, A Gnosis”. This pivotal opening transcending this finitude of time - allowing spirit to guide the rhythm of my life. This alignment extends to all aspects of being.
In the realm of my sacred practice, I often turn to prayers, seeking guidance on which discernments hold deeper potential for profound truths. I discovered that answers to these prayers were to be felt from the heart space, approached with non-judgment and purity. Embracing this stage with a sense of gnosis, it became a cycle where information met knowledge beyond perception.
Considering what challenges an artist/human might go through, vulnerability in expressing our authentic selves is apparent. Yet, it’s an immensely empowering experience, prompting gratitude when conveying my themes. My personal journey of understanding the wisdom gained from growing up as Korean-American and navigating East Asian traditionalism allowed me to better comprehend difference of perspectives. The intention with supporting each parent of their individuality became a catalyst for my growth in discernment.
How can I move my energy and emotions, in flow?
How can I quiet the busy mind, busy idleness, into meaningful progress?
How do I communicate the role of resistance to my internal being?
What are my boundaries --virtues-- that assist this alchemical process?
Continuing my gathering and understanding of the inner jouney, I find myself resonating with philosophies in taoism and stoicism. Taoism, grounding the very root of life of inner values, introduces the simple and subtle art practice of “wu-wei” (acting in harmony with natural course of events, without unnecessarily struggle or resistance) as a means to access the Tao, the path of human life. Thus, knowing what inner values I hold self-respect for, have assisted the act of harmony with natural course of events, without unnecessary struggle or resistance. However, the shadow aspect of misinterpreting wu-wei is brought to my attention through the warning of an inferior “te” arising from the lack of individuation. (The Way of Zen, Alan Watts).
In modern context, contemporary stoicism provides a valuable reminder to how I can allow the natural flow of my life to be more palpable in terms of appropriate actions aligned with my inner virtues. Author Holiday’s comparison of tactful hell, the busy idleness, is counterproductive to a strategic heaven; healthy and effective systems of decisions and actions. Idle tactics, as he suggests, can bypass wu-wei’s flow, or short cut the delightful steadfastness in allowing things to unfold naturally without resistance.
Stoics assert that the highest good is virtue itself. Perhaps every life situation offers an opportunity for a virtuous response - a behavior I develop in my alchemical phases of conflict, polarity discipline, integration of habits, resting truths, embodiment, and gnosis.
In contemporary society, stoicism is commonly characterized as the ability to endure adversity without outwardly expressing emotions or grievances. However, it offers a distinct approach to how I navigate challenging circumstances by suggesting a method. A method that channels emotional reactions towards constructive ends, ultimately contributing to the greater good of my craftness. As I reflect on my personal journey, particularly amid the shifts within my family’s transitions and dynamics, I’m witnessing the evolution of my own belief system. The challenges presented prompted the endorsement of virtues such as patience, respect, and wisdom.
In contemplating these philosophies, I’m left with questions that guide my creative process:
How can I move my energy and emotions in flow, aligning with the principles of Wu-Wei?
How can I quiet the busy mind, transforming idle tactics into meaningful progress?
How do I effectively communicate the role of resistance to my internal being?
What are my boundaries—virtues—that assist this alchemical process?