Interview: Sung-Ji Huh
Luca Curci talks with Sung-Ji Huh during the 11th Edition of CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2022, at Palazzo Bembo.

Sung-Ji Huh is a south-korean artist. He graduated at Seoul Hanyang University. He also participated to many art events such as the 38th Nambu International Contemporary Art Festival Exhibition or the 1st South Korea New Arts Contest Exhibition.

Luca Curci – Which subject are you working on?
Sung-Ji Huh – I usually do between figurative and non-figurative painting. But for me, Subjects can be anything. From abstract to figurative, nature to human, thoughts to objects, quantization to continuity etc.

LC – How did you get to your current artistic practice?
SJH – I didn’t major in art. Although I used to like drawing since I was a kid having the hobby of making things with clay, which I think probably stems from my mother who has been an art teacher in middle school. She also liked to draw and make a lot of stuff with various materials. Seeing her doing that did affect me, and I really liked to make my own things. I majored in engineering, but there always has been the eagerness to create something new inside me. So I continued to draw and make things from time to time, obviously not very often since I had to study, but after quite a long period of time, I decided to fully immerse in art.

LC – How do you choose your subjects? Is it a reasoned or an instinctive process?
SJH – It is a conversation between reasons and instincts. When instinct hits me, I ask myself the reason why I felt that instinct. When reason hits me, I ask myself what kind of core logic the instinct follows.
And when the questions are answered through the conversation between them, I draw that moment that comes to my mind.

LC – Do you use art to express something in particular? Is it your medium of expression?
SJH – Yes. I think art is quite a tool to express one’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions with the possibility of being
interpreted in so many ways which makes me, who creates the art, keep learning more and more.
It is indeed my medium of expression.

LC – How do you feel when you see your work completed?
SJH – I feel Still incomplete. Even after I thought the work is perfect, I always found some kind of flaw or defect. But It is ok because not only do I make my next work a bit better but also the flaw itself represents the range of understanding in terms of my thought in that specific moment when I create it.

LC – We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works?
SJH – Thank you very much for appreciating my work. Those were part of preexisting works.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the exhibition?
SJH – Through this exhibition, I got very valuable experience. I do go to a lot of contemporary art from time to time, and I feel happy when I do. But in this exhibition, I think I learned and felt more than usual. I’m not sure how to put this but, the atmosphere of the venue, range of the art, how you manage the exhibition, all aspects were very artists friendly. Plus it was international which makes the event more diversiform.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
SJH – As I mentioned in the previous question, I think that you guys are doing awesome stuff for artists like me. I expected fewer staff but subdivided parts were beautifully managed by the proper number of staff in my humble opinion.

LC – Would you suggest a collaboration with us? What do you think about our services?
SJH – I would be glad to suggest a collaboration with you. I think your services are fantastic as an artist.