작가는 ‘욕망’이라는 인간 내면의 본질적인 감정을 작업의 주요 모티브로 삼고, 현실과 이상 사이에서 끊임없이 충돌하며 살아가는 인간의 모습을 조형적으로 탐색해왔다. 그의 작업은 단순한 재현을 넘어 사회적 기준, 이상화된 아름다움, 여성성에 대한 시선, 소비 사회가 만들어낸 갈망의 구조를 시각적으로 드러낸다.

‘Desire’ 시리즈에서는 자개의 빛나는 표면을 통해 욕망의 양면성을 표현한다. 자개로 장식된 여성의 형상은 겉으로는 찬란하게 보이지만, 그 안에는 도달하기 어려운 이상과 현실 사이의 간극이 담겨 있다. 이는 현대 사회가 욕망을 어떻게 시각화하고 소비 가능하게 만들며, 또 그것이 어떻게 인간의 정체성과 연결되는지를 질문한다.

강지연의 작품은 표면적인 아름다움 너머에 존재하는 감정과 생각을 조형 언어로 드러내며, 관람자로 하여금 익숙한 것 속에 감춰진 의미를 새롭게 바라보게 한다.

Kang Jiyeon focuses on the often-overlooked moments and objects that quietly stay by our side in the midst of repetitive daily life. Her work draws attention to things like unopened books, a silently breathing cat, a plant that has grown unnoticed, old colored pencils and worn brushes, or faded paints. These familiar elements, which seem to lose their presence over time, are reexamined and reinterpreted through her artistic lens. By revisiting everyday scenes, she brings forth the hidden stories and emotions embedded within, transforming the ordinary into something meaningful.

In parallel, Kang Jiyeon’s practice also centers around the fundamental human emotion of desire, exploring it as a key motif. Her work delves into the tension between reality and idealism, investigating human identity through sculptural and visual forms. Rather than mere representation or decorative aesthetics, her work addresses societal standards, idealized beauty, the gaze on femininity, and the psychology of longing as shaped by a consumer-driven culture.

In her “Desire” series, mother-of-pearl is used not simply as ornamentation, but as a symbolic element revealing the dual nature of desire. The luminous surface of mother-of-pearl reflects both the pursuit of beauty and the yearning to transcend. Though the female figures adorned with mother-of-pearl appear radiant, they reveal the unbridgeable gap between ideal and reality. Her work questions how desire is shaped in contemporary society—how it is visualized, consumed, and compared.

Through her practice, Kang Jiyeon seeks to make visible the emotions and meanings that lie beneath the surface. Her work encourages viewers to reconsider what is familiar, to look again, and to discover the subtle but enduring significance within.