Ottokaji (1989), lives and works in Groningen, NL from Seoul, South Korea
Artiststatement
I prefer using my artist name Ottokaji rather than my legal name Soonoh Chung, which is connected with different contexts that I did not create, such as parents or nationality. Ottokaji sounds like a Japanese name, so some patriotic Koreans can get angry, and patriotic Japanese people can welcome me, but actually, it is full Korean which means 'what should I do'. So to say, I am indirectly insisting that there is no certainty by playing with my name flipping around the perceptions of the public, and it resembles how I create my paintings and installation through the process of flipping over the materials or adding up different objects to break down what is leading towards a certain perception. Even though it sounds very conceptual, I am aware of that anyhow it goes to somewhere else where people can enjoy it apolitically without contexts. If I have to explain my position as an artist. Topographically, I am a painter who offers a visual experience for the public which arouse emotions subconsciously. In the studio-based practice, I create paintings and then create installation arts with my images and random objects that I can obtain in my daily life. Visually, I prefer images mixed up with controlled and uncontrolled happenings touched by my hands, which is layered up with my intentions and non-intention. My fundamental question for my arts is what it means on having a 'multi-perspectivity' as a person who can distinctively notice myself by comparing myself from others. Personally, others include everything surrounding me, for example, humans, objects, pigments, air, water, etc. Meanwhile, I also can be one of them. It sounds like I am always changing my standing point, but that is the key point for my creation. So to say, I am firmly positioning myself. I open up the possibility which is adding up another axis on this 4-dimensional world within my art world. I play with my perceptions as a human being who is dreaming different axis, and I hide hints in my arts. I want to keep swimming in my expandable-pool by talking with other people.
