Under the premise that only purely sublimated artwork can commune with cosmic secrets, I contemplate, meditate, and execute my work.
Around 2010, when The Red Book by Carl Jung—whom I deeply revere—was published, I was immersed in a profound study of his concept of the unconscious. Around that same time, I encountered The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird.
These two books provided firm validation for my personal experiences with trees and the path I was destined to follow. Furthermore, my recent studies in quantum mechanics have eliminated any lingering doubts about my practice. As an artist, I finally attained the certainty that had eluded me during decades of wandering—a definitive direction for my contemplation on the relationship between humanity and all things in the world.
Carl Jung requested that his writings on the human unconscious not be published until several decades after his death. This work explored the "shadow consciousness," a concept addressed in the deep shamanic traditions present across all cultures. When it was finally unveiled to the world, how liberating it proved to be for the collective unconscious of so many. The unconscious within the subconscious that he spoke of shares the same context as the Yogacara (Vijnanavada/ๆ่ฏๅฏ่ฏ) philosophy I had studied, representing a profound convergence of Eastern and Western thought. Because Jung had studied Eastern philosophy deeply, he likely knew his theories might be dismissed by Westerners as superstitious or unscientific; hence, he wished for them to be published long after his passing. Traversing the vast landscapes of both Eastern and Western thought, he took what many would readily call "superstition" and defined it as the human collective unconscious. This collective unconscious is shared by all individuals, regardless of race or gender. In his illustrations, Jung revealed that the sun and moon, the serpent and tree, the king and jester, god and devil, good and evil, and all illusions coexist within the human soul.
This understanding of the unconscious stands as a monumental perspective. By gaining insight into the shamanic or maternal psyche through his partner, Toni Wolff, it became a catalyst for women's self-actualization and subsequently transformed the world. Of course, due to their conflicting views on Freud's theory of humanity being repressed by sexuality, their paths ultimately diverged regarding the theory of the human subconscious. It was at this juncture that I re-examined the concept of all sentient beings divided into male and female, as well as the sacredness of that division and the immensely diverse cultural and creative achievements born from its inherent potential. Within that realm, I began to focus my contemplation on trees—the magnificent sentient beings that are alive yet rooted in place. They have witnessed every transformation of the earth and the cosmos, silently living out their lifespans while participating entirely with their whole being.
Furthermore, as I read the grain engraved within them, I followed the Eastern philosophy of Qi (energy). Through focused meditation within the vibrational waves of energy created by aliveness—the Qi of change and differentiation—I received profound messages. It is an overwhelming realization of "presence within absence" unfolding in the empty void; the Qi energy of the sea, flowing water, trees, rocks, and all living things delivers an incredibly powerful resonance. This magnificent resonance was something I could not help but accept with even greater affirmation through the lens of quantum mechanics. Particularly in the realm of "Qualia science," I experienced a tangible communion with pure consciousness, understanding it as a quantum field interaction between matter and human consciousness. Grounded in the fundamentals of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements—the Eastern philosophy of Qi that Jung himself once cited—I came to commune with the joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure of the immobile tree.
The reason I employ the triangle as the shape of my canvas and place a mirror at its center is that the triangle represents the most stable and perfect geometric form. Since primitive times, as epitomized by the pyramids, this shape has embodied humanity's desire to reach the heavens, pursuing the perfection of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity (Cheon-Ji-In), while serving as a deeply symbolic form across various religions. By equipping this structure with a mirror—a metaphor for the human mind—it encapsulates the philosophy that when individuals gather to form a triad, they achieve perfect harmony and manifest an entirely alternative, ideal world.
Ultimately, this practice traces back to 1996, when I began installing pyramidal kaleidoscope structures made of three-sided mirrors. Entering inside gave viewers the sensation of floating in a cosmic space filled with a singularly fantastical landscape. Although not implemented in this particular exhibition, my most recent projects have integrated the projection of digital images within this structure.