Jenny Jiyoung Han
- Anna Lilli Garai
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Jenny Jiyoung Han mixes images, memories, and words in a way that feels personal but stays loose. She works across design, collage, and painting, using parts of things that shift as she puts them together. Some ideas come from research, others from what feels right in the moment. She doesn’t plan every step—she lets things change along the way. Colors set the mood. Certain symbols come back, but they never mean just one thing. Nothing feels final or too perfect. Each work feels like a thought in progress, something still figuring itself out.
Q: Your digital scenes feel both intimate and unreal. What keeps you working in that in-between?
A: My work thrives in the space between the tangible and the intangible because that’s where the essence of human experience often resides.
I prefer to conquer between the categories of socially standardized expectation and satisfaction. I have managed to consider and be outside the box as my brain functioning absorbed abstract demonstration through education and training, which helped me to progress positively. I struggled to fit in or comprehend the balancing act of learning and adjusting learning strategies by the academic systems when I had early experiences. I preferred to make my own framework by figuring out my weaknesses and strengths first, and then making a trajectory that could be more sensible.
I appreciate every struggle and frustration after the long run of exploring and researching to find the way to the finalized image of my beautifulness.
Q: “The Return of The King” turns a sunflower into something sacred. What made that shift feel right?
A: We all have an inherent sunflower hidden in the multifaceted nature of human life in the circular system of the universe. The sunflower sought to elevate us beyond the nature of its beauty, imbuing it with a sense of sacred essence that reflects our inner circumstances with the profound depth of intellectual property and curiosity. In my artistic journey, the sunflower has consistently symbolized the embodiment of our resilience, growth, and pleasure in the purpose of happiness.
The transformation into something sacred through the beautiful floral object turns and aligns with my ongoing exploration of interconnecting the boundaries in abstraction, surrealism, fine art, design, illustration, photography, and even further AR technology, insisted in the artistic formation. The bridge between each intrinsic value in each sunflower manifests the resonance of inner strength and dignity in the metaphor expression for celebrating individual identities.
It’s also a celebration of the human spirit’s capacity to find meaning and beauty amidst the complexities of life.
Q: You’ve said your work blends struggle and connection. What holds those two together?
A: Art is all about understanding the two poles of human complexity. The thread that binds struggle and connection or defeat and triumph naturally demonstrates through shared human experiences—the intricate tapestry of emotions, memories, and dreams we all navigate.
My art seeks to bridge these internal landscapes by juxtaposing whimsical, abstract elements with more realistic ones, creating a visual dialogue that resonates on both personal and collective levels.
The definitions of tangible and intangible, internal and external, and beautiful and unattractive represent the framework of the gap between the diversity of extended possibility and our conceptual beauty standards. The fusion between the gap is interwoven into the natural cycle of universal existence to strengthen the ultimate human desire to navigate the balance.
Q: There’s a dream logic in how your images unfold. How much do you plan—and how much do you follow?
A: My creative process is a delicate balance between intention and spontaneity. I begin with a conceptual framework, often inspired by personal experiences, emotions, or themes I wish to explore. This initial planning involves selecting elements that resonate with the narrative I aim to convey.
However, as I delve into the creation, I allow the work to guide me. The digital medium offers flexibility, enabling me to experiment with colors, textures, and forms. This exploration often leads to unexpected outcomes, where the piece evolves beyond my original vision.
This interplay between planning and following mirrors the subconscious mind’s workings, where structured thoughts intertwine with spontaneous emotions. By embracing this dynamic, I strive to create artworks that evoke a dreamlike quality, inviting viewers to embark on their own introspective journeys.
Q: Your colors carry weight. What tells you when a palette’s doing what it needs to?
A: I don’t limit or plan for my color palette when I paint digitally. I use my emotions time by time, transcending the emotional energy of the specific moments through digital expressions.
It is more like an action painting methodology at the very beginning: spontaneously chosen color scheming rather than being carefully applied.
This approach allows me to channel my inner self into the artwork, letting the colors emerge organically from my emotional state. The palette feels right when it resonates with the emotional energy I aim to convey, creating a harmonious balance between the visual elements and the underlying feelings.
Q: You work digitally. What does the screen let you do that other tools can’t?
A: I can work with very traditional techniques of oil painting, acrylic painting, mixed media, and other related materials that I can apply to the process of my work.
However, my access to work digitally has enabled me to control my unsecured and unsettled mind when blending physical reality with work. I choose to work digitally because of its intellectual coherence and compatibility under the guidance of mirroring purely rational chains of driven nature of ideas.
That helps my impulse from scattered thoughts and the unsettled flow of ideas to capture more effectively for the final results.
