Finding meaning in small creatures

2009.3.27

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Have you ever knelt down on a sidewalk to take a close look at a nameless flower? Not many of us pay attention to the small creatures, never getting the chance to hear the wonderful stories each of them might be carrying.

Illustrator Bae Min is one of the few people who recognizes their value. Having majored in graphic design at California College of Art and Craft and illustration at Academy of Art college in the United States, Bae is an up-and-coming illustrator.

In his exhibition titled "Unknown Weeds," which starts today at Gallery GreemZip in Itaewon-dong, central Seoul, viewers can check out what the illustrator sees in the creatures.

Bae captures nature which is easily neglected in our daily lives and characterizes them. Using bold lines and significant colors, Bae turns weeds, insects and butterflies into marvelous art.

"I walk on the street that leads to the workroom from home. Even though this familiar street remains always unchanged, a flower blossom in an unexpected corner delights me with everyday life's small pleasures," the artist wrote in an essay regarding this exhibition.

The exhibition runs daily from 2 p.m to 10 p.m through March 31 at Gallery GreemZip in Itaewon-dong, central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 792-9279.

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)