In Korea, the DoJang 도장 (red signature seal), is a vital artifact that possesses the bearer’s identity. In many senses, it carries far more significance than its intention as a mere signature stand in, because it replaces the owner’s personal touch with that of one assigned to the owner by a DoJang maker.
In the DoJang series, I become the maker and creator of identities. The series is a group of carved woodwork consisting of an ever-growing number of tablets arranged in groups. Each tablet is a magnified Korean signature seal with themes range from mindfulness, inspiration, culture, race and identity. They combine traditional woodcarving with modern printmaking techniques. I currently have produced over 150 of these tablets and install them in different configurations to create messages as a collective.
Instead of exhibiting a print of the woodblock carving, the pieces place emphasis on the wood itself, carved in non-reverse, to draw attention to process and end product, simultaneously. This speaks to the journey of identity, rather than one being imposed upon us, it calls upon self-determination, at times outspoken, but always with room for transformation with infinite paths and outcomes.