This year marks 10 years since I’ve graduated from Western Painting at Ewha Woman’s University – 10 years! As I revisit my memories and my artwork after a long hiatus – life! – I wanted to revisit myself as well. And thankfully, I have a great friend, Tatiana Potes, who kindly interviewed me for her blog back then after visiting my Diploma Exhibition in November 2014 (original post here). So, baby Dominika (Donia for friends) below for your enoyment!

FROM THE step by step BLOG BY TATIANA POTES

I have a big surprise for you today! We will talk about art and happiness with the hero of the day – let me introduce to you an Artist of Seoul – Dominika Kustosz Lee!

Tanya: Donia, hi! Thank you very much for your time. So how is life after the Graduate Exhibition? Has it changed much?

Donia: It was an intensive year, intensive four years at Ewha, so I am glad to be able to rest for a bit, haha. But I’m still high after the experience, I think. It’s so rewarding to see your works exhibited, hear people commnting them! As I said, I am resting now, but I plan to keep on going to school to paint during the winter session, it would be a shame to just do nothing for a long time when it really is the peak of our skills, for us 4th year students.

Tanya: What was this exhibition for you? Tell me about your works there.

Donia: It was a great experience in many aspects. We worked on our works for this exhibition for a year (although it is obviously a sum of all our previous experiences), so that process when you really focus to express something in the most suitable, best possible way, constantly improving – I think this was a great lesson for the future, to continue our artistic journey.

Another important thing was preparing the exhibition itself – the display. All of our professors have had countless exhibitions as artists, and seeing them use their experience and arrange our works in the exhibition space was another great lesson.

I was able to exhibit two of my works, one is a group of 30 pillow-like canvases painted with the colors of my happiness :)

The other work is two pictures of the body… the way I experience it, as a part of love.

Tanya: One of the works you called “Pieces of happiness” so what is happiness for you?

Donia: Happiness for me is little beautiful moments, mutual respect, love. I am a very positive person in general, and tend to focus on the good things rather than the hardships. But I think that happiness is also a healthy balance of these two.

Tanya: What is art for you?

Donia: That’s a tough one! It is a world my mom introduced me to, a way of thinking, seeing, feeling, and expressing yourself. I think it’s a kind of sensitivity to life.

Tanya: What is Ewha University for you?

Donia: My big life-changing experience! I’ve learned so much; want to learn so much more thanks to this school. I have taken so many different, amazing classes there, had the opportunity to try out many art techniques, broaden my horizons by taking classes from other departments. It’s very intensive, and you sometimes reach your limits, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It also gave me many amazing friends that I love very, very much.

Image credit: Probably one of our Professors!

Tanya: What is Seoul for you?

Donia: My home. :) My other, first home is where my mommy is, but this is where the biggest life changes happened for me as a person. In Seoul I found real happiness.

Tanya: What is your favorite place in Seoul?

Donia: I love the night view from the bridge when you take the subway, between Hapjeong station and Dangsan station. Especially when the dome of the National Assembly is not illuminated anymore and it looks like a black hole, haha. It’s simply divine. I have my dark moments, too! ;)

Tanya: Can you give advice how to make your life happier? :)

Donia: The biggest happiness in my life came when I started really respecting myself, demanding that respect from people, and tuning into my feelings, not ignoring them – does this bother me, am I O.K. with this? I don’t think any good comes from sacrificing and enduring. We have to do things because we want to do them, or else resentment builds up. Also, treat other people (and animals!) the way you want to be treated. Karma is a bitch, so you better be on her good side! :D

Tanya: Thank you very much again for your time and for your warm smile ;)

Donia: Thank you for giving me this opportunity and for all the warm love you give me!

10 years since Ewha Graduation…

‘Period-Abstraction part 2’ exhibition – Interview by Gallery the Arte Cheongdam