By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Chairs hold a special meaning for artist Jae J. Rhee. Tiny chairs made of toothpicks fill the canvas of her artworks, currently on display at her solo show ``Missing You'' at the Art & Museum Gallery, Yeoksam, Gangnam.
``The chair is a symbol of the place I can return to, like home. It's like I can always come back to the chair. It has a special meaning for me. When I was away from my then-boyfriend for six months, and he sent me a picture of the two empty chairs we used to sit in at his garden. It was very touching for me,'' she told The Korea Times over coffee in Chungmuro, Tuesday.
In her artwork, the chairs represent the artist's memories of heartbreak and loss. Rhee admitted those painful memories influenced the choice of toothpicks to create the chairs.
``I tried various materials to make the chairs, like chopsticks, but toothpicks are perfect. The toothpick has a sharpened tip. It reflects the pain in my heart. At the gallery opening, one of the staff touched the work, and got hurt from touching the toothpick. There was blood. It's the painful touch that I wanted to express,'' she said.