ABOUT MY BRIEF HISTORY
(Currently on an artistic hiatus)
An artist walks a narrow bridge — barefoot, unkempt, unpolished, but balanced.
The world offers wide roads to those who carry wallets. He carries a brush.
With nothing but paint and balance, he crosses the space between falling and flying.
The bridge is life. The brush is his courage.
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I created this illustration and poem around 2015, right when I decided to live my life as an artist. I made that choice knowing full well that the path of an artist would be tough and rugged. I drew a brush in the figure’s right hand to symbolize using a brush to find balance in moments when it is easy to lose footing and fall.
Keeping the reality of a modest, poor lifestyle in mind, I chose my current pen name, ‘vin.’ In Korean, the pronunciation ‘vin’ (빈) means ’empty’ or ‘poor.’
While poverty isn’t something to brag about, it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of either. Being materially empty brings many inconveniences, but keeping the heart empty often brings peace.
I had been involved in diverse artistic forms in South Korea prior to the early 1990s, mostly portrait paintings. However, I discontinued all artistic activities in the mid-1990s.
Subsequently, I relocated to New Zealand in December 2001, completed my studies at the University of Auckland in September 2009, and engaged in other business ventures.
In mid-2014, I decided to reignite my passion for creativity and have since been concentrating on oil and watercolor paintings.
In June 2015, I organized a solo exhibition in Busan, South Korea, which showcased my artistic abilities.
Additionally, in March 2020, I held a street exhibition at the Queenstown Art Market.
I have lived in Christchurch since mid-2024. A medical incident left me blind in my left eye in late 2024, and I am currently awaiting corneal transplant surgery. Having lost depth perception, I have turned my attention to illustration while my painting practice remains on pause.