This is a painting of an alley behind my studio. The place always seems vacant, but messy objects suggest traces of life. As a Seoul resident, I find it very difficult to empathize with the struggles of others due to isolation and division. I can only assume their hardships through the faint trails they leave.

With this piece, I referred to Matisse's Red Room paintings. In Matisse's Red Room paintings, red colors serve as backgrounds shaping objects but stay prominent. Their flatness prevents the viewer's sight from moving into the depth of the painting. The shapes and colors in his paintings direct the gaze to move constantly. I aimed to create a similar color effect with my painting, keeping the viewer's eyes on the surface and making it difficult to focus on one spot. With this practice, I intended to carry the theme of impenetrable surfaces city displays, and the struggles hidden behind them.