Photos courtesy of Eunice Rhee
To Eunice Rhee, art is a form of communication.
“I think art is something that is integral to how we connect with other people,” Rhee said.
Eunice Rhee, a first-year student studying business at Pepperdine, believes that the beauty of art lies in how it can speak to the broadest audience possible. Rhee gained experience working with elementary school students as a teacher’s assistant at YB Art Studio all throughout high school. Through this she said she was able to gain insight and inspiration from young minds still discovering their talents.
“My involvement with both these art studios allowed me the opportunity to explore different mediums and refine my process,” Rhee said.
With a particular interest in fine art and instillations, she said one of the most intriguing aspects when creating pieces is how she used various techniques and strokes to create different points of communication.
“When I used bold colors, I am able to make a clear and stark emphasis on specific ideas, or when when I am working with installations, I use bigger objects to make strikingly bold statements,” she said.
Art is something Rhee said she used as a platform to express her thoughts, emotions or portrayals of herself. She compared the Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun and the musical artist J. Cole as examples of how they each used their form of art to influence others.
“Yue Minjun was able to make sense of the world and the things around him through the use of himself,” she said. “J. Cole also uses his own art form of music to influence his audience with personal lyrics.”
However, Rhee said her love for art has not always been this open.
“I had the burden of being the first child and the question of future stability with art was a major interest of mine,” Rhee said. “But eventually, I noticed multiple different artists use art as a platform to express their thoughts, emotions, or portrayal of themselves.”
Through understanding the different ways in which art may provide an outlet for communication to many people, Rhee said she allowed herself to fall in love with the field of art.
Rhee said her passion in art provides her with many skills she finds useful in her daily life. Her ability to think conceptually for her artworks allows her to grow in patience, and her ability to have a greater overview of how every component can work together for the best possible quality.
“Whenever I am working on projects for school or approaching people, I have been able to adapt myself into a situation where I observe carefully before I fully engage myself and make certain decisions or actions,” she said.
Ultimately, Rhee said her main goal as an artist was to nurture the ability to purely communicate with observers of her art through a personal relationship.
“I have a hope that my work may be able to not only stir awe within the viewer but that it also be able to create a platform where I will be able to reach out and attract the attention of the observer,” Rhee said.
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