I'm Jang Jonghun, born in Geoje Island, South Korea. I graduated fromthe Concrete Sculpture Studio of the Department of Sculpture, School of Sculpture and Public Art, China Academy of Art (CAA) with a master's degree this year. In my opinion, this graduation exhibition, themed "Brain Garden", showcases the interconnection of free utopian creative neurons that appear repetitively in our brains, as well as the free combination and communication of mediums.

My graduation works includeSculptural Skin Study – Girl-1, Sculptural Skin Study – Muse, Sculptural Skin Study – Swim,andHYDRA. The works were inspired by my pondering these questions about sculptures: Why do most figurative sculptures have bronze skin? Why should a sculpture made of glass fiber-reinforced plastics be painted with fake bronze skin? Is it because the bronze skin can make the sculpture look classy? Or because a sculpture made of glass fiber-reinforced plastics is seen as cheap?

So I created the works with this question in mind – "Does the skin of a sculpture determine its value?" We can think about sculptures and skins separately, and apply a skin that is incompatible with a sculpture, or create a sculptural shape not constrained by skins.

I hope my audience can be immersed in the moment of the sculptural form meeting with the painted skin when appreciating a work. They may appreciate merely the shape or the skin of the sculpture, or the compatible or incompatible portion of the two, which would be very interesting.

It's a different experience to study at CAA. Students studying various programs at CAA gather together and exchange ideas freely, with new inspiration bursting out for creation. Since their programs are divided quite precisely, students are more thoughtful in their creations. That's why I am able to break through the limits of sculptural expression, and continuously find out about what is sculpture, what isfigurative sculpture, what figurative sculpture can do, and what will it be in the future. With a deep understanding and in-depth studies of sculptures, I can create works ultimately.