I have experienced two trials in my life. The first hardship felt like walking through Death Valley without a single drop of water, while the second one was like walking through burning thorns. After about a year, I had almost emerged from that harsh thornbush, and I could feel something ripening inside me. The moment I saw the title of the contest, « Shining Despair, » something stirred within me, and I wanted to give form to what had ripened inside me through this contest.

The two rings I submitted embody my inner self, which has overcome the trials. While walking through the burning thorns, my inner self also grew thorns and bore scars, but instead of merely staying wounded, it produced plump and solid fruit.

The two rings were made using ‘Hanji(Korean paper)’ as the main material and the ‘Jiseung Craft Technique’ which is a traditional Korean craft technique.

I twisted hanji (Korean paper) into threads and, using only my hands, continuously connected and wove them to create the shape. Afterward, I coated the piece with a diluted layer of glutinous rice paste two or three times to finish.