Gaze Back The display window of a store is the eye of capitalism, and the glass wall of the window is the retina where images are reflected. When humans look at the display window, the window also gazes back at humans. In other words, the capitalist eye consistently observes us as we observe capitalism. The act of peering into the display window is considered as the desire for consumption. In this respect, my work is about my impression of a post-capitalist society. The image of the subject reflected on the retina(glass window) lingers on the surface, not being able to penetrate the wall. The triangular relation between the audience, the window, and the subject expands the space within the canvas like a kaleidoscope. The space is unlimited, but also restrained; it is an imaginary space reflected in the mirror of desire. To express the cold firmness of a glass wall, I’ve employed hyperrealism technique, and this tactile coldness well communicates the alienation we suffer from consumption and desire. The overlapping composition makes it unclear which one is a mannequin or a human, and which is inside or outside of the display window. Likewise, we (viewers) are living in the modern society in which it is difficult to distinguish between mannequins and humans. The gaze of each figure is also ambiguous. It is uncertain if the mannequins and human figures are looking at each other as if in a conversation, or each gaze is dispersed or directed toward the audience. At the same time, the viewer facing the mannequin and the human figure might discover that the relationship between them represents one’s own relation to the world. None of the gaze is straightforward, but each gaze of "mannequin-human figure-viewer" is identical, and they represent one another. The three gazes (of mannequin-human figure-viewer) are at once isolated and then reassembled by the glass wall. The viewer, for a moment, may find oneself reflected on the mirrorlike surface, and the next moment, the reflection blends and vanishes into the mannequins and human figures. It is just like looking at the indifferent individuals within consumption society. The display window exhibits the many ironies in modern society, as well as featuring the individuals who do not reflect on themselves. The shiny, glossy surface of the work indicates precarious simulacre found in capitalist society. This well-polished surface that does not allow any brushstroke reveals the paradoxical relationship between consumption society and painting. Furthermore, the ambiguity of where the figures and objects are located as well as the overlapping gaze signifies the contradictory relationship between modern society and hyper-realism. While the series features multiple layers of relations on two-dimensional surface, the subsequent series calls attention to the expanded perspective of humans through three-dimensional sculpture. Along with the technological development, humans have acquired eyeglasses, photography, photoshop, video, and VR, etc. However, they are simply the means to fulfill our desire to see. For me as an artist, they are merely the devices to replicate human perspective and vision. Modern society has given birth to a new perspective through the evolutionary growth of media, and I hope my painting and installation works make this idea more accessible by the audience. Eventually, my work is about the extended perspective and vision of humans, no matter through which media.