Deagu, b. 1994

JiYoon Jeong practice centres on the translation of collected photographic images into painterly language, with a particular focus on their sensory and formal qualities. Found images sourced from the web serve as primary materials—not for the narratives they might suggest, but for their compositional elements. The artist is drawn to the pose, expression, and condition of the subjects captured, rather than the emotions, memories, or stories the photographs might traditionally convey. In this context, the use of anonymous, found imagery becomes a deliberate choice, reflecting the artist’s commitment to the formal and structural aspects of painting. The application of a monochromatic palette further heightens this approach. By stripping away the original colours, the work distances itself from the photographic source, shifting the image into a realm of interpretive possibility. This intentional abstraction allows for multiple readings, embodying the artist’s belief that painting need not impose a singular narrative. Many of the works are concluded through the act of dripping paint—a final gesture that reaffirms the painting’s identity as a tactile, expressive medium rather than a representational one. Through this method, the artist invites viewers to engage with the image not as a reproduction, but as a painterly construction, imbued with the autonomy and ambiguity that define the medium itself.