Nomad

Year: 2024
Medium: Ink and wash on Hanji paper
Dimensions: 79H x 168W in
Original Artwork Price: $75,000

Nomad

The Nomad Series reflects modern life, using ants' limited perspective to explore human struggles. Ants perceive their surroundings solely through touch via their antennae, contrasting with humans who rely predominantly on sight.

Shin arranges the figures amidst elongated swathes of ink washes. Ants perceive only what they touch, unaware of the broader world around them. Yet, labeling them as unintelligent for their lack of sight seems unjust. The shape upon which the ants climb embodies the ambiguity of the environment we inhabit—a space where life can be perceived with both gravity and lightness. Through the lens of ants' lives, Shin perceives a parallel to modern individuals ensnared within the confines of their own existence.

Rather than merely depicting the flower itself, Shin emphasizes the movement delves into the historical lineage of chrysanthemum depictions in art.