artist
interview
Signal Station
Signal Station
Artist Interview
Artist
Interview
A Journey to the Mermaid
Etoile Florale (Doyeon Kwak)
A Journey to the Mermaid
A Journey to the Mermaid
Etoile Florale (Doyeon Kwak)
Etoile Florale (Doyeon Kwak)
Description
Description
Digital drawing and Collage based on original mixed media sculpturer
2480 × 3508 px
2024
Digital drawing and Collage based on original mixed media sculpturer
2480 × 3508 px
2024
In Little Mermaid, Etoile Florale transforms the familiar figure of the mermaid into a contemporary symbol of self-determination and emotional resistance. Originally a floral installation, the piece has been transformed into a digital collage layered with textures, symbols, and fragments of inner dialogue. The work hovers between memory and metaphor, delicately blending floral textures, symbolic fragments, and imagined narratives. Drawing from Disney’s archetypes but refusing their passivity, Etoile Florale’s mermaid is no longer waiting to be saved, but she walks by choice, driven by her voice.
Embedded with phrases like “Go Away” and “Left or Right?”, the work invites introspection. It reflects emotional complexity and quiet defiance, offering a narrative shaped by personal agency rather than fantasy convention. Presented via QR code in a public space, the work rests invisibly until activated. This format mirrors its themes—silent until someone chooses to see. As digital and emotional currents intertwine, Kwak’s work becomes a vessel for inner dialogue — where beauty meets resistance, and fantasy becomes a site of transformation. Within this urban dérive, Little Mermaid invites each viewer not only to see but to feel — and perhaps, to choose a new ending for their own story.
Artist Note
Artist Note
This piece is one of the mermaid-themed works from Etoile Florale, a digital reinterpretation of the floral installation artwork Little Mermaid.
It was created in the form of a signpost to reflect the meaning of the Little Mermaid’s independent life—a life she carves out for herself rather than relying on help from others, which is something I personally admire.
The story of a mysterious, fantastical world stands out especially because, unlike other princesses who are saved by a prince, the Little Mermaid is the one who saves the prince herself.
This piece is one of the mermaid-themed works from Etoile Florale, a digital reinterpretation of the floral installation artwork Little Mermaid.
It was created in the form of a signpost to reflect the meaning of the Little Mermaid’s independent life—a life she carves out for herself rather than relying on help from others, which is something I personally admire.
The story of a mysterious, fantastical world stands out especially because, unlike other princesses who are saved by a prince, the Little Mermaid is the one who saves the prince herself.
In Little Mermaid, Etoile Florale transforms the familiar figure of the mermaid into a contemporary symbol of self-determination and emotional resistance. Originally a floral installation, the piece has been transformed into a digital collage layered with textures, symbols, and fragments of inner dialogue. The work hovers between memory and metaphor, delicately blending floral textures, symbolic fragments, and imagined narratives. Drawing from Disney’s archetypes but refusing their passivity, Etoile Florale’s mermaid is no longer waiting to be saved, but she walks by choice, driven by her voice.
Embedded with phrases like “Go Away” and “Left or Right?”, the work invites introspection. It reflects emotional complexity and quiet defiance, offering a narrative shaped by personal agency rather than fantasy convention. Presented via QR code in a public space, the work rests invisibly until activated. This format mirrors its themes—silent until someone chooses to see. As digital and emotional currents intertwine, Kwak’s work becomes a vessel for inner dialogue — where beauty meets resistance, and fantasy becomes a site of transformation. Within this urban dérive, Little Mermaid invites each viewer not only to see but to feel — and perhaps, to choose a new ending for their own story.
Tell us about yourself and your artistic journey.
I’m Kwak Doyeon, working as Etoile Florale, blending flowers with contemporary art. I see flowers as both material and metaphor, creating whimsical yet resonant works that carry emotion, memory, and the power to transform space.
What’s the story behind the piece you’re sharing with us?
This work began with a question: What if we could rewrite the stories we’ve inherited? I wanted to move beyond altering a character’s ending and instead challenge the idea of living by someone else’s script. For me, the mermaid’s choice is symbolic — a reminder that we can walk away from the roles we’ve been given, define our own terms, and author a narrative that is wholly ours.
How does the QR code street exhition format shape your approach to the viewer’s experience?
Presenting the piece via QR code turns viewing into a deliberate, personal act. The work waits silently in public space until curiosity sparks action. That moment of scanning feels like opening a door — a private invitation to step into a layered world at one’s own pace. This format mirrors the themes I explore: self-determination, choice, and the quiet power of entering a story on your own terms.
With our exhibition theme in mind, when did you last get wonderfully lost—in a city, a thought, or your studio?
After a fight with my mother, I left home with no plan, flew to Jeju, and wandered freely. Sunsets, sea breezes, and strangers’ kindness reminded me how liberating it feels to be beautifully lost.
If your art could speak, what would it say to passersby?
“You already know the way. I’m just a reminder that you can go.”
Tell us about yourself and your artistic journey.
I’m Kwak Doyeon, working as Etoile Florale, blending flowers with contemporary art. I see flowers as both material and metaphor, creating whimsical yet resonant works that carry emotion, memory, and the power to transform space.
What’s the story behind the piece you’re sharing with us?
This work began with a question: What if we could rewrite the stories we’ve inherited? I wanted to move beyond altering a character’s ending and instead challenge the idea of living by someone else’s script. For me, the mermaid’s choice is symbolic — a reminder that we can walk away from the roles we’ve been given, define our own terms, and author a narrative that is wholly ours.
How does the QR code street exhition format shape your approach to the viewer’s experience?
Presenting the piece via QR code turns viewing into a deliberate, personal act. The work waits silently in public space until curiosity sparks action. That moment of scanning feels like opening a door — a private invitation to step into a layered world at one’s own pace. This format mirrors the themes I explore: self-determination, choice, and the quiet power of entering a story on your own terms.
With our exhibition theme in mind, when did you last get wonderfully lost—in a city, a thought, or your studio?
After a fight with my mother, I left home with no plan, flew to Jeju, and wandered freely. Sunsets, sea breezes, and strangers’ kindness reminded me how liberating it feels to be beautifully lost.
If your art could speak, what would it say to passersby?
“You already know the way. I’m just a reminder that you can go.”
Tell us about yourself and your artistic journey.
I’m Kwak Doyeon, working as Etoile Florale, blending flowers with contemporary art. I see flowers as both material and metaphor, creating whimsical yet resonant works that carry emotion, memory, and the power to transform space.
What’s the story behind the piece you’re sharing with us?
This work began with a question: What if we could rewrite the stories we’ve inherited? I wanted to move beyond altering a character’s ending and instead challenge the idea of living by someone else’s script. For me, the mermaid’s choice is symbolic — a reminder that we can walk away from the roles we’ve been given, define our own terms, and author a narrative that is wholly ours.
How does the QR code street exhition format shape your approach to the viewer’s experience?
Presenting the piece via QR code turns viewing into a deliberate, personal act. The work waits silently in public space until curiosity sparks action. That moment of scanning feels like opening a door — a private invitation to step into a layered world at one’s own pace. This format mirrors the themes I explore: self-determination, choice, and the quiet power of entering a story on your own terms.
With our exhibition theme in mind, when did you last get wonderfully lost—in a city, a thought, or your studio?
After a fight with my mother, I left home with no plan, flew to Jeju, and wandered freely. Sunsets, sea breezes, and strangers’ kindness reminded me how liberating it feels to be beautifully lost.
If your art could speak, what would it say to passersby?
“You already know the way. I’m just a reminder that you can go.”