Now She Is Fine: Jooeun Bae

In 2014, Jooeun Bae’s mother went through surgery because she was diagnosed with skin cancer on her face. It made the artist afraid of the surgery because she could not be with her mother for the operation. After the successful surgery, she had to undergo chemotherapy. Although the operation and chemotherapy gave her mother a scar on her face and weakness to her body, she was only getting better and healthier. In fall 2020, Jooeun had to undergo an operation to get rid of a cyst. Witnessing her mother’s healing process made her brave. The surgery went well. After facing the surgery indirectly and directly, the artist realized that a collage is like an operation. Collage makers have to cut the fragile paper, like a patient’s feeble body, following the line carefully and delicately. Then, the cut fragments are pasted together by tapes, glues, and stitching methods. When the stitch-up part is done, the surgery provides a cure, and the collage gives a new art piece.