ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:
http://www.cansculpt.org/memberDetails.php?id=21&fn=Yeon-Tak&ln=Chang
My free-form sculpture is reflective of the relationship between man and nature – the struggles and harmonies between the two. The rhythms and patterns created through the process of carving symbolize a timeless space and energy. The end results are sculptures that express a search for self-awareness through elements derived from nature. The direct contact with stone, as I carve a design also becomes a transitory moment into a continual voyage of unknown space, releasing my inner vision. The process is aself-fulfilling renewal. Thus the recurring dialogue with stone echoes my private understanding of myself and I am able to find a clearer passage to truth.
Education
1980 AOCA, Ontario College of Art
1964 BFA, Seoul National University
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Harmony is love.
Without harmony there is no love.
Working with the subject of the mountain I find endless possibilities and harmony of nature. Harmony is my spiritual balance with the energy of the mountain that leaves me at peace and at rest. Eventually through my own interactions with stone, the mountain and I become one and I am able to find a clearer passage to truth.
My free-form sculpture is reflective of the relationship between man and nature and the struggles and harmonies between the two. The rhythms and patterns created through the process of carving symbolize a timeless space and energy. The end results are sculptures that express a search for self-awareness through elements derived from nature.
Having been raised on a farm in South Korea it has become apparent that my work reflects both my admiration and attraction towards nature and also expresses my longing to be reunited with something more familiar and comforting. However, my work is not solely based on nostalgia; my work is created out of my own passion to translate the dialogue between myself and nature.
The subject of the mountain is one that I have been working with over the past ten years. Through the image of the mountain I find endless possibilities and ideas that continue to feed my creative will. Although the mountain communicates sternness, there is an undeniable softness in its character that I also seek to express through my work. There is an incredible formative beauty that takes shape in the mountain. This beauty is in constant transition and transformation and thus with each stone I approach I attempt to secure this ephemeral process. Through this perpetual creative journey, the mountain continues to give me great comfort with its companionship.
For me, the act of carving is a fluid movement; a meditative process that allows me to be at peace of mind. The varying repetitions of motion enchant me, and help me discover a spiritual identity within a mysterious world. The process of touching, molding and reshaping the stone further provides a form of intimate dialogue between me and nature. Through this discourse I am able to discover the beauty that is held within.
The direct contact with stone, as I carve a design, also becomes a transitory moment into a continual voyage of unknown space, releasing my inner vision. The process is a self-fulfilling renewal. Thus the recurring dialogue with stone echoes my private understanding of myself and I am able to find a clearer passage to truth.