Rising Beyond Memory

Rising Beyond Memory is a work inspired by the profound energy and stories held within the land of Eastern Canada. Over the past few years, I’ve felt deeply connected to this land, sensing signals that transcended its surface beauty—whispers of hidden memories, lingering pain, and a yearning for release and renewal. These experiences guided me to the canvas and became the foundation of this piece.

The process began with a moment of quiet meditation in front of the canvas. Sitting calmly, I opened myself to the energy of the land, waiting for its rhythm to reveal itself. Weeks before painting, I felt drawn to collecting feathers during my walks—symbols of freedom, release, and new beginnings. These feathers stayed near me as I worked, inspiring the themes of liberation and transformation I aimed to express.
The painting developed through layered cycles of adding colour and gently covering it, repeated many times. Each layer embodied suppressed energy and traces of the past, which I sought to release and transform without creating a heavy presence. Instead, I focused on building textures that remained light and fluid, allowing the forms to emerge naturally. Gradually, these forms revealed themselves—a feather symbolising freedom, clouds and winds lifting burdens of pain, and a white portal representing a flow toward renewal. The layered textures reflect the uncovering and transformation of hidden stories, giving them space to breathe and evolve.

This land holds profound beauty as well as deep memories and diverse stories. Its quiet presence spoke not only of pain and burden but also of resilience, hope, and renewal. While I am not Indigenous to this land and do not claim to represent its history, the powerful energy I felt resonated deeply within me, awakening emotions and memories tied to my Korean heritage.
As a Korean, I carry the historical and emotional weight of Han (恨)—a cultural sentiment that embodies suppressed grief, longing, and an enduring desire for healing. The stories and energies of this land naturally connected with Han, creating a resonance that shaped my work. Through this connection, the emotions flowing within me found their way onto the canvas, giving form to images of liberation and healing.

Rising Beyond Memory represents the energies and stories I encountered, embodying a journey of release, transformation, and renewal. I hope this piece allows others to connect with their own deeply rooted emotions and energies, letting them surface, flow freely, and lead toward new paths of healing and freedom.