Catherine Kwon

Artist’s Statement

Moving frequently growing up, I was exposed to people of various backgrounds and became increasingly observant of the different ways people think, act and treat one another. My work explores the dynamics of human interaction; through extensive use of the human figure, symbolism and metaphor, I tell stories rooted in both personal experience and my observations about others.

“Utopia,” partly inspired by Thomas More’s “Utopia” and partly by my experiences working with children, is a three-dimensional acrylic painting on several resin layers and questions childhood, innocence and morality in the context of today’s society. The magical-looking background — representing a seemingly perfect environment to be in — is juxtaposed by the skeptical expression on the child’s face; in reality, no system that theoretically eliminates greed and selfishness will truly overpower humans’ innate and inherent lack of goodness.