Visual Idiom

Image Translation -Words and Idioms- (2019)

While living abroad alone, I was forced to use digital devices to communicate with the closest people. As I got used to digitally mediated interaction, internet culture visual languages such as emojis, memes, gifs, and videos have become the most frequently used form of my conversation. It has brought a change in my perception of communication- I believe visual communication can replace written communication. The first part of my research to prove my argument, started by analyzing the situation when using written communication itself is insufficient for me. The answer I came with was the 'Dictionary'. There are words that require respective explanations, something more than word-to-word translations to read what is beyond its surfaces. I tried to visually translate Korean words and idioms that are tricky to render in English, into moving images with shapes inspired by internet culture visuals to make them readable without learning Korean.

삐딱선을 제대로 탔다. = It walks on a slanted line. This term is used to children or childish attitudes. It describes someone’s mind, thought, or behavior is not straight but twisted.

서슬이 시퍼렇다. = The edge of a blade is cold deep blue. The spirit is too strong, furious, and sharp, almost threatening. In Korean, a high level of anger is described as ‘blue’ not ‘red’.

담 쌓고 벽을 친다. = Pile up bricks and build a wall. When people used to get along well, break off with each other, and block everything between them to make sure not to be close ever again.