Bat-man virus / 박쥐, 돼지, 우리들

I made an illustration for an article on COVID. Following is a summary of the article:

Before COVID-19, there was a Nipah virus outbreak in 1998, where almost 1 million pigs were shoved into pits and killed because they transmitted the virus, which they likely contracted from fruit bats. Why humans and bats (the two mammals capable of #flight), and farmed animals are well-positioned to share viruses, and why it may be getting worse. Illustration for an article written by my wife, D. Susie Lee, to appear on Catholic Review, September-October 2020 issue.

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코로나바이러스에 관한 기사에 곁들일 삽화를 그렸다. 다음은 기사의 개요:

코비드19 이전, 1998년 니파 바이러스 사태 때에는 백만 마리에 달하는 돼지들이 살처분되었다. 과일박쥐에게서 온 것으로 추정되는 바이러스를 사람에게 옮겼기 때문이었다. 사람, 박쥐 (비행하는 포유류들), 가축들이 왜 바이러스를 공유하기 적합하며 왜 그 추세가 더 악화되고 있는지에 관하여. 아내 이수지가 쓴 가톨릭 평론 9-10월호에 실릴 글에 곁들일 삽화.

YK 2020.

Friday after Friday / 월화수목금금금

On trying to be productive during lockdown. How is it going for you?

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코로나 기간의 효율 내기, 어떠신가요?

(See Instagram for the process video.)

YK 2020.

Beauty Today, Beast Tomorrow?

Recent events reminded me of the flight of an insect-like drone reported last year in Nature. As I watched the small machine flapping its delicate wings toward the light, its energy source (YouTube link), I felt as though I was watching the first steps of a baby. At the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would grow into: a nimble rescuer, or a killer under unexpected circumstances?

YK 2020.

Repainted: Hanging On

I painted the background with watercolor and removed flaky strokes of pastel.

I’m not sure whether I should retouch gibbons. They also have pastel strokes but to me it seems less jarring than in the background. What do you think – shall I retouch the gibbons to make it look finished?

Thank you very much, everyone, for helpful advice! I think I will submit both this one and the other one. The deadline is today and the most pressing question for me is whether to retouch the gibbons. I’d appreciate your feedback!

YK 2019.

 

Compare Colors: Home

In the above, I tried colors different from the previous one (below), which was more vivid. The call is for an exhibition for homeless people, and I think some gravity is due. I still don’t want to make it taken for granted by expressing gravity with sad colors, so I’m trying to find a right balance. What do you think – how would you compare this one with the previous one (below)?

Hanging On

I plan to submit it to a regional call for artworks under a theme “Home”. Please let me know if you have feedback so I can make a last minute change. I think I will make the background denser for now.

YK 2019.

 

Boxer at Rest / 쉬고 있는 복싱 선수

The weary boxer in bronze was excavated in Rome. His photo when he was found looked as if he was taking a short rest after a bout of work.

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Sunday Morning at Pool Cafe / 일요일 아침 수영장 까페에서

A public space can be quietly inspiring when it has seats enough to be half empty. If I were an urban architect, I would add seats just so that they can be empty most of the times. Just like desks need more wood than fits a book and beds more than fits a body.

공공장소에 자리가 반쯤 비어 있으면 조용한 영감을 얻는다. 내가 도시를 설계한다면, 대개는 비어있을 수 있도록 자리를 더 놓겠다. 책상이 책보다는 커야 하고 침대가 몸보다는 커야 하듯이.