Opening the Between Series

Visual Traces of a Liminal Identity Across Time and Nation

Between is a project that emerged from a personal and cultural condition of being suspended—unable to fully belong to any single identity. As an immigrant, a woman, and an artist, I have long inhabited the in-between spaces shaped by language, history, and geography.

This blog is a space to share the making of Between, the stories behind each image, and the journey that shaped them. I plan to unfold these stories step by step.

Between Project: Day 1st

Between Borders and Belonging:

A Tension Between Pride and Guilt Made Visible

Between Series #1

The first image in the Between series reinterprets Édouard Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe. The idea for the image came to me on the day I received my U.S. citizenship. The work projects my inner conflict onto the central figure in Manet’s composition—a naked woman, unapologetic and direct gaze. Through her, I attempt to visually articulate the tension between pride and guilt that defined that moment.

Preparatory Sketch for Between Series #1

My immigration to the United States began with a dependent visa through my husband’s student status. What followed was a long journey through work authorization, permanent residency, and finally, naturalization. Over time, the longing for my homeland slowly gave way to immersion in American life. When the day of my citizenship arrived, I found myself emotionally suspended—caught between a sense of achievement and an overwhelming feeling of guilt. To gain one nation meant to let go of another. That moment of duality—of belonging and betrayal—became the conceptual foundation for this image.

To me, the United States was like marrying into a strict and unfamiliar family: uncomfortable, demanding, yet ultimately formative. The Between traces my emotional and cultural negotiations across two nations. It is a visual meditation on the discomfort, growth, and transformation that comes with inhabiting the space between.

Alongside me in Between Series #1-My Dog, Born Between Korea and America

The series will include 30 images in total. Nineteen are completed (some pending revision), and the remaining works are scheduled for completion by 2026. As the project is still in development, I will share reference images and process documentation for now. Once the full structure is in place, the series will be presented here and on my website.

Thank you for your engagement.                                                                                             I look forward to sharing the next chapter soon.