Minshik Shin

Lives and works in Queens, NY, USA

Artist statement

Artist Statement Title: Dream at Walden ‘Dream at Walden’ is a series where I, as a Korean-American artist, navigate displacement, exploring the themes of family, identity, and resilience in my art. ‘Walden’ is the name of the avenue where my family lived in the suburbs of Great Neck NY, from 2007 to 2022. The paintings portray my determination, from the perspective of a father and an artist, to overcome difficult situations. Family portraits are expressed through imagery, writings and poetry written by both my two sons and me. Through painting and mixed media, I capture the complex emotions that arise from my life: having to start over and begin anew again. I created collages with fiber rice paper on canvas, legal and court documents, and painted with Indian ink, Korean watercolor painting, acrylic, and oil paint. On top of the depicted images, I scribed the Korean Buddhist technique of "sah-gyoung," a meditative form of written character chantings used for healing and transcendence. My work serves as a personal archive, memorializing forgone dreams while conveying the courage and determination it takes to persevere. I paint a journey of loss and growth; the dissolution and renewal of my American Dream.

Artwork

• Writings of my artistic wishes, 2023. Indian ink, acrylic, acrylic pen, oil, collaged, fiber paper, rice paper, on canvas
• Very important people at my home, 2023. Indian ink, acrylic, acrylic pen, oil, collaged, fiber paper, rice paper, on canvas
• Dream of the first day, 2023. Indian ink, acrylic, acrylic pen, oil, collaged, fiber paper, rice paper, on canvas
• Bradley's prom, 2023. Indian ink, acrylic, acrylic pen, oil, collaged, fiber paper, rice paper, on canvas
• Sometimes have a happy day, 2023. Indian ink, acrylic, acrylic pen, oil, collaged, fiber paper, rice paper, on canvas
• Andrew's writings about mother, 2023. Indian ink, acrylic, acrylic pen, oil, collaged, fiber paper, rice paper, on canvas