Hwa Jihong

My artistic practice spans sculpture, installation, moving images, sound, and virtual technology. I work with diverse mediums, including ceramics, metal, 3D, silicone, photography, digital sound, and virtual digital media. I approach each project multidimensionally, exploring specific themes through the systematic revelation and examination of medium, material, and technical conditions. Often, the subject matter dictates the medium, allowing me to create hybrid installations by weaving together various genres. My work delves into the intersection of human experience and virtual reality, focusing on media, materiality, transformative processes, and hybridity. Thematically, my art examines corporeal behavior, personal and historical experiences, and contemporary culture, with a consistent inquiry into identity. I aim to explore the inner world, peeling away the exterior through contemporary means. Currently, my work centers on the relationship between individuals and society. The rapid pace of societal development often overlooks the damage to individuals. In a contemporary society marked by homogeneity, the inner lives of individuals are neither respected nor understood. This harm manifests both as mental trauma and physical injury. While physical harm is visible and generally understood, mental trauma is often subjective, lacking clear boundaries and recognition. Through my art, I aim to visualize internal trauma, using abstract forms to express the inner emptiness and struggles of many young people in modern society, as well as their desire for recognition and redemption. As we navigate a rapidly evolving society and changing information landscape, the lines between virtual and real-world harm blur, often leaving deeper and longer-lasting impacts than physical wounds. Each sculpture I create is a piece of a larger puzzle, representing parts of the body. When viewed together, these pieces reveal a coherent narrative, forming a complete and tangible truth.