designboom · Creativity & design

Children's Drawings Recreated as Photographs in Seoul

Artist Yeondoo Jung brought children's drawings to life through large-format photographs, meticulously recreating imagined worlds with teenage models and real-world locations in Seoul.

Jung collected 1,200 drawings from children aged five to seven, selecting 17 for photographic reconstruction. He used teenage models and designers to translate drawings into physical scenes, using a film camera for theatrical moments.

The process involved designers and models working for months to translate simple images into tangible spaces. Colors were matched to crayon sets and fabric sourced to stay true to the children's original palettes.

Details in drawings, like signage, reflected children's observations of Seoul. Jung noted children's societal observations in drawings differ from text-based knowledge.

One drawing depicting wealth inequality forced Jung to find real-world locations in Seoul representing both high-rise apartments and redevelopment areas.

Jung chose a film camera, contrasting with today's AI. He believes the series' current attention stems from the immense physical effort used, making the creation process inseparable from the final image.

The photographs, paired with drawings, form an artwork. The gap between the child's idea and the photograph's reality reveals deeper meanings.

Jung aimed to give the light subject weight through realistic photography. The images balance fantasy with Seoul's social realities, showing how children's perspectives interact with the adult world.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.