Wookjae Maeng: A Garden, 2017
A Garden, 2017, Porcelain, Paper, Wire, 200 x 200 x 140 cm
The work was exhibited at Gyeonggi International Ceramics Biennale 2017, Icheon, Korea
and 2018 Taiwan Ceramic Biennale, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Even though it is now more important than ever to make serious efforts to outgrow our human-centered view of the environment and the world in general and make substantial improvement to ecosystems, we still lack the time and resources to properly address this pressing issue. In my work, I seek to answer questions regarding what the ideal relationship among life forms of varying sizes in this selfish environment would be, and what we could do to develop and maintain such an ideal relationship.
The works represent the process of raising and answering question regarding the relationship between humankind and the environment and between nature and civilization. The mystical recreations of bio-diverse ecosystems that characterize this works invite viewers to seriously contemplate the meaning of the ecosystems so often overlooked by modern society and imagine a better society, one in which nature and the dignity of life receive the respect they deserve.