Take care of your body and mind to continue working sustainably with joy!

[ARTIST CIRCLE] Lilac Interview - Issue 1411

ARTIST CIRCLE

The 'Artist Circle' is Mangrove's artist residency program that supports contemporary artists. It is a project that offers housing and community to creators from various fields, including illustrators, craft artists, musicians, and comic artists. In 2021, at Mangrove in Seoul, the largest co-living space in the country, listen to the intriguing stories and fascinating Mangrove life of four contemporary artists who inspired each other through their creative work. You can also see free-spirited and unique daily life records captured by the artists themselves with film cameras.

Inspired by the forest, craft artist Lilac creates and shares works that are deeply rooted in the green. "I lived in the forest for a month. Under the name Ecovillage Design Education (EDE), I embraced a nature-friendly lifestyle. I chopped wood to make fires, cooked meals, and fetched water using an eco-bike. Friends I met there wore crochet bralettes. Watching them work in just a crochet bralette and then jump into the creek for a swim was liberating and free. It was a moment when my previous image of bras completely shattered."

After packing stories from the forest, I returned to start making crochet bralettes and jewelry myself. By chance, I started selling them, and that's how the brand 'Soul Bag' came to be. When you walk towards the square window at the end of the 14th floor hallway, you find room 1411 Mangrove, where nature occupies spaces around Lilac's room. Sleek pebbles, incense sticks that smell of earth, lush green plants, and soothing aroma welcome guests. It's her personal little world, keeping the traces of the forest like old friends by her side.

I think an artist's role is to embrace diversity,
and to let the world know it shines in countless colors.

Q. You express yourself as a creator through various creations like crafts, music, writing, and drawing.

When I go out for art education, I meet people worried about whether they've done well or not. I always say that art is inherently diverse and lacks a definite answer. I believe an artist's role is to embrace diversity and to let the world know it shines in countless colors. Especially as an artist speaking about social change, beginning with oneself and living that life is itself art to me.

Q. Your gentle smile shows a glimpse of serenity. Do you have fears too?

I'm not always calm and serene. I believe staying calm is ultimately about practice, and just like everyone else, I'm working on that practice. My biggest fear is not being able to love. I believe we come from love and return to it, and not being able to love seems to be the most painful. I truly like the phrase 'in spite of fear.' There are many things that scare me, but I want to be a person who overcomes fear.

Q. Lilac's aura is felt from the candles placed at the end of the communal hallway window.

Home is a space of recharge and inspiration for me. Sometimes I place ceramics that I have exhibited in the past as objects, and I put candles and incense sticks everywhere. I love the scent of nature, so I also use aroma oils that convey that feeling. Thanks to this, when I come home, a comforting scent greets me. I place dreamcatchers, candles, paintings, and letters made by friends everywhere to continue to feel as if my friends are by my side. I also placed stones, shells, and plants from nature.

Such loose connections in the city were refreshing and warm.

Q. What impression does Mangrove give as a home?

An interior-designed 20-story tall building gave me the impression that warmth might be hard to expect. But it turned out that this space fostered various connections more than I thought. I also newly discovered that it promotes values like mindfulness and environmental protection. It made me realize the biases I had. Living in Mangrove, you greet residents met in elevators and sometimes make friends while cooking in the kitchen. Most of all, if people share similar intentions, they can gather and participate in small meetings, which I appreciated. Such loose connections in the city were refreshing and warm.

Q. Please share any new discoveries you made at Mangrove.

When friends visited, we took photos and had fun on the 20th-floor rooftop. While taking photos, we discovered rosemary growing among the reeds. I welcomed it even more because I love rosemary oil. Facing the open landscape of the rooftop and deeply inhaling the scent of rosemary gave a refreshing feeling to my heart. Oh, and the tteokbokki stall in front of Mangrove is really delicious!

Q. How was your experience living in Mangrove as a place that considers both the residents' living and growth?

I felt Mangrove well utilized the unique characteristics of each space. Coming here, I noticed that my work improved more than ever. I believe efficiency and focus are important when working, and having a coworking space tailored for focusing solely on work, a library available whenever inspiration or reference materials are needed, and a rooftop for fresh air with views of mountains and sky—all within one building—was very convenient, I think. Also, I believe maintaining body and mind health is crucial for sustainable work, and there's a flex room for strength training and a relax room for yoga and meditation, which helped me take good care of myself.

If it wasn’t for a space like Mangrove that connects with various friends, it would have been difficult.

Q. After two months in a coliving house, I'm curious about the moments that stayed with you.

Together with Mangrove members, I joined a gathering called 'Picking Up Plastic Club,' where we walked around the area near Sinseoldong for about an hour collecting trash. While it was saddening to see more trash than expected, it was also joyful to think about cleaning the planet together.

Once, I faced the task of shooting an introduction video but was worried because of my lack of video skills. During the process, several miraculous helping hands appeared, like Mangrove staff Chloe and foreign friends Johan, who helped with filming, completing the task smoothly in just one day. If it weren’t for a space like Mangrove that connects with various friends, finishing the job in a day would have been difficult. Through this interview, I express my deep gratitude to them.

Q. You ran the Mangrove Social Club with the theme 'Rituals from the Forest.'

Preparing for the program allowed me to revisit the time spent in the forest, reminding me how the experience continues to provide strength and inspiration. Additionally, discussing rituals made me realize that it's the small daily habits that uphold life. I want to always share my learnings as long as they can help someone.

Someone told me that if you put sincerity into small things, the world changes.

Q. What message does artist Lilac's work convey?

I want to tell diverse stories about the body. Especially for women, who often have to wear uncomfortable underwear from a young age and can't freely talk about their bodies. I hope more 'awareness' about the body is shared globally. With a heart hoping for everyone to be comfortable and happy, I want to continuously create objects and jewelry that resemble the forest. If I can convey the naturalness and vitality felt in the forest, it would be even better.

Q. What mindset are you cultivating lately?

At the start of November, I wrote down this month's motto on the calendar. It's about putting sincerity into small things. Someone told me that if you put sincerity into small things, the world changes. It seems one must do grand things to change the world, but it turns out that's not the case. I want to be someone who cherishes the seemingly insignificant.